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At Boston City Hall, debate over the future of White Stadium rages on

BOSTON — Time is running out for White Stadium, the crumbling 75-year-old, 10-thousand-seat sports facility that sits at the edge of Franklin Park near Jamaica Plain and Roxbury.

The demolition process has already begun, as Mayor Wu announced last month a lease agreement to transform White Stadium completely.

The new two-hundred-million-dollar stadium will be the home for Boston’s National Women’s Soccer League Team and for the Boston Public Schools Athletic program.

The city and the team would share the burden of the renovations under a public-private partnership.

But at City Hall, there is pushback.

At two sets of public hearings, opponents say the project is too expensive, and it turns its back on the community.

“This is about making money, it’s not about making it better for school children,” longtime community member Jean Maguire said.

“The plan as proposed is not good for the children of the city of Boston, not good for public school athletics, and not good for any of the residents that abut the park,” said Louis Elisa, the president of the Garrison Trotter Neighborhood Association.

The mayor’s office says a new shared state-of-the-art facility will benefit Boston Public School Students, Boston Unity soccer partners, and the local community that uses the park.

“It’s not a one-time investment,” one White Stadium neighbor told City Councilors. “This park needs dedicated long-term maintenance revenue. And a public-private partnership, I believe, is the way to do this.”

“The stadium has been ignored for decades,” another White Stadium neighbor said. “And now we finally have an opportunity to do something about it to bring that money that has escaped our city, into our city.”

Opponents of this project are turning to the courts for help.

They are suing to stop this project.

And they have a court date in March.

However, the full-scale demolition of White Stadium is scheduled to begin in the next few weeks.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.

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