[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6376348,"mediaKeyId","2140416-69d4c3ee626507c1d313191e343e12b1","parentId",2140416,"title","Boston council hearing exposes splits over White Stadium plan, rising costs and tree removals","audioSeconds",135,"startMs",1309000,"endMs",1444000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140416-69d4c3ee626507c1d313191e343e12b1&start=1309&end=1444","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140416-69d4c3ee626507c1d313191e343e12b1/thumbnail_1309000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6376348/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Boston-council-hearing-exposes-splits-over-White-Stadium-plan-rising-costs-and-tree-removals","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376348-3f56bee0672a91090db1b7183cba9f4e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139770&Signature=GHVEiAt1J~EfiQOwjnqmt35NUpfR88jElbDOg8fCVC6rmTmppBj-sH5xht8rJEEUoEGjR9ZQis8u~MKObe2fqldP0MhKt3GR7-iGJd0ulL~mWmZ9~SwZd5p58B0w6NtpT9h5Htnp-YHn4Bj6uxAbDUJEPsEz5x9EKht2pwVSalg6yFXWVOg6xeuUcUJ148A5Y41oIEHzE-RzZSfKFV6MI5bZACwkgxuv47PXVIZ5ffK2ZqaKdNYD9JraYgqS~LsYiRNbxv56n7o~s8wJVrt~M8qBQDVy6-Sk~hPiC1OGIZ~igzqSvmKJ4I8Jp941BtLCOqOpnY4pYMDT8wSm8eMlGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boston City, MA","date","2025-01-22T00:00:00Z","article","BOSTON — A Boston City Council committee hearing on Jan. 22 exposed deep disagreements over plans to renovate White Stadium in Franklin Park, focusing on financing, public access and the environmental effects of removing mature trees.

Committee Chair Julia Mejia opened the hearing by saying the aim was transparency. “We can all agree that we want to redesign White Stadium,” she said, but she added the committee’s purpose was to examine how decisions were made and whether the public had been heard.

Why it matters: The administration and a private partner propose a public‑private plan that city officials say brings private investment and ongoing operating funds; opponents say the terms shift too much control and financial risk away from the public and threaten parkland that residents use year‑round.

What the city presented: Dionne Irish, the city’s chief of operations, and other officials described a partnership with a private tenant, Boston Unity Partners, that would leave ownership with Boston Public Schools while the private partner finances and operates a large portion of the stadium. Officials said the city’s current budget estimate for its share is about $91 million and that the private partner would make multiple commitments, including an annual payment to the city of $400,000, a neighborhood fund of $500,000 annually and covering about $2 million a year in maintenance and operations related costs that the city otherwise would bear.

City officials also described legal safeguards in the deal, including an escrow and a corporate guarantee of $45 million that would be available to the city if the private partner pulled out during construction.

Community and expert concerns: Economists and neighborhood advocates disputed the size and terms of the project. Robert Andrew Zimbalist, an economist who testified remotely, warned the overall economic case was weak and noted the city share had risen from earlier estimates; he said, “The currently estimated city share is $91,000,000 and don’t be surprised if it rises further.” Community speakers, park advocates and the Emerald Necklace Conservancy argued there has been insufficient community review of alternatives and that the current plan would remove an estimated 145 mature trees and take roughly two acres of parkland.

Several speakers urged consideration of a lower‑cost, fully public renovation that would preserve more green space and provide a dedicated high‑school facility. Karen Moni Bridal of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy said the group had prepared a detailed alternative and a cost estimate it called substantially lower than the city’s proposal and more aligned with the Franklin Park Action Plan.

Transportation, access and scheduling: City planners said the lease limits private use to a maximum number of professional games per year and includes a transportation action plan (TAP) to address access/parking impacts; however, council members and neighbors said they had not seen final TAP details and pressed for more specifics on residential parking zones, shuttle operations and game‑day traffic management.

Process questions and next steps: Council members repeatedly pressed the administration for more granular cost breakdowns, transportation and environmental studies and asked whether the city would consider a slower, more transparent review. Officials said legal documents had been published and that the TAP would be finalized as construction documents are completed. The chair said the council will continue oversight and proposed a follow‑up resolution for the full council to consider.

What remains unresolved: The most contested items are the project’s final price for the city, the number and location of trees to be removed and the scope of private revenues retained by the tenant (notably, the contract described revenue sharing and naming rights terms that opponents said were heavily weighted to the private partner). Opponents pressed for alternatives on other city or private sites and for a fully public renovation option that would not include commercial components such as large hospitality or retail spaces in the park.

Ending: The committee did not take votes; Chair Mejia said the hearing would continue in subsequent sessions focused on public engagement and that councilors had asked the administration to supply additional cost details, transportation plans and environmental reports for further review.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Boston City Council | Post-Audit: Government Accountability, Transparency and Accessibility on January 22, 2025 (10:00 AM)","oneSentenceSummary","BOSTON — A Boston City Council committee hearing on Jan. 22 exposed deep disagreements over plans to renovate White Stadium in Franklin Park, focusing on financing, public access and the environmental effects of removing mature trees.","taxTitle","Boston City, Suffolk County, Massachusetts","taxId",3381,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6376343,"Madison Park rebuild stalled by high costs and swing‑space challenges; city eyes state funds",1718,6742000,5024000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2140416-69d4c3ee626507c1d313191e343e12b1&start=6742&end=5024","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2140416-69d4c3ee626507c1d313191e343e12b1/thumbnail_6742000.jpg","/articles/6376343/Boston-City/Suffolk-County/Massachusetts/Madison-Park-rebuild-stalled-by-high-costs-and-swingspace-challenges-city-eyes-state-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6376343-98841a61daa314d4c520e39afb447c8e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771139770&Signature=BoFztxH6t0ap75RjBpXkaD5jT5tsdJ21J5BZFn3-VwlmRPAMYA1hfrjW9pB-WfSoEXjR9PxdjXjXdm~iAvkA2bIZOEGJwhsjyHplXMhRj1ORka2ZC3GprT4qqNoy2LvBTmVKFH2VaX45G1mxS-Xj67-CqKWvdAPxTvXWfgCBnYD-BN899enG0ymBH0VUH7iutWKm4FkRT8aHhuUblD8akLvVneGSgQ~-F~ArnXQTKXYZfDUpDgxdkvNBMjw6~4qIVJHGcrfT-WaaoekChZ4QOX3QF7HB61GASMFTaHdDphNRNkpcW8C~Rwg~jxG35W5~Uig2m1JRIHzuXGZzcIMNpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","BOSTON — Boston Public Schools’ plan to replace or substantially rebuild Madison Park Vocational Technical High School surfaced as the second major topic at a Jan. 22 hearing held by the City Council’s Committee on Government Accountability, Transparency and Accessibility. Administrators and the project team described a complex, high‑cost effort whose timeline and funding path remain unsettled.

Why it matters: Madison Park is Boston’s only comprehensive career and technical education (CTE) high school. Advocates argue a modern facility would expand workforce pathways for students and support local economic development. Officials said the project’s cost and the logistics of keeping students in school while work proceeds are the biggest current obstacles.

What officials told the committee: The feasibility process produced a wide range of earlier estimates; the administration said the initial feasibility estimate exceeded $800 million. After work by the owner’s project manager and architect, officials said the most realistic estimates were in the high hundreds of millions — and that options scoped in the fall put a new‑construction option roughly in the $550 million range for one of the viable schemes. City staff and the project manager said vocational schools are unusually expensive because they require specialized labs, heavier structural systems and more space than a typical comprehensive high school.

Swing space and timing: Left Field Project Management and other consultants told the committee that finding “swing space” — temporary accommodations for a wide range of CTE programs during construction — is a major hurdle. The Timothy Smith School (across from the campus) could cover many academic classrooms, but upgrades to prepare the site for three to four years of occupancy were estimated at roughly $35 million. Consultants said other CTE programs would require dispersed, remote swing sites with added transportation, lunch logistics and security costs that are still not fully estimated.

State funding, MSBA: Because of the high cost, BPS and the mayor’s office said they plan to seek support from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). Officials described the MSBA application process — a statement of interest due in spring, formal review later in the year and then a multi‑year design cycle — and warned that pursuing MSBA funding can delay construction by several years. Project managers said MSBA participation can materially reduce the city’s share of a project but that ineligible costs — including swing‑space expenses — reduce effective reimbursement and add uncertainty.

Community engagement and enrollment: School leaders and community representatives described a recent uptick in enrollment and a waitlist at Madison Park, which project staff said had about 1,100 students and roughly 87 percent attendance in the most recent year. School leaders and union representatives urged the city to move toward a solution so CTE programming can expand and remain competitive.

Next steps: Officials said they intend to submit an MSBA statement of interest and to continue community engagement; they asked for council support to pursue state funding. Councilors pressed for a clearer timetable and for written estimates the administration can share with the council and the public.

Ending: The hearing created an early public record of the project’s cost pressures, the importance of swing‑space planning and the administration’s intent to seek state support. Councilors asked for more precise cost lines and for assurances on how the city would maintain programs and community access while construction moves forward.","BOSTON — Boston Public Schools’ plan to rebuild Madison Park Vocational Technical High School surfaced as a major item at a Jan. 22 council hearing, where officials said costs and swing‑space logistics pushed a full project into the high hundreds of millions of dollars and likely into a state‑funding process.","actionData","errors"]

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Boston council hearing exposes splits over White Stadium plan, rising costs and tree removals

Madison Park rebuild stalled by high costs and swing‑space challenges; city eyes state funds