Protest held outside Boston's White Stadium as some lawmakers call for halt to project
Dozens of people braved the freezing cold Wednesday to protest at the steps of Franklin Park's White Stadium in Boston.
"This is community, and no one listens," said Renee Welch, who was moved to tears as she spoke. She's one of many neighbors who are against a new stadium that would be the home to a pro women's soccer team – BOS Nation FC. The project, the city estimates, will cost taxpayers $100 million to build.
"As a Black person in this community, I am afraid that this is just the next step to pushing me out of a community that I have been in since 1975," Welch explained. "This is gentrification at its worst."
Some neighbors support stadium
There's a list of neighbors who support a new stadium. Beth Santos owns Ula Café in Jamaica Plain.
"We're also right in between the T, kind of the route that you'd be taking from the T up to White Stadium would pretty much be going past our café," Santos told WBZ-TV.
A renovated stadium, she believes, will bring in more foot traffic to the area. Santos sees it as an economic driver.
"Especially the Egleston Square neighborhood, which we're a part of, has been underinvested for years. There are a lot of businesses that really could benefit from all these visitors."
Opponents concerned
Opponents have a long list of concerns.
"Transportation, involvement of minority contractors and the final taxpayer cost of the project remain unanswered," said Jamaica Plain resident Melissa Hamel.
Josh Kraft calls for halt to project
With a looming court date on March 18, Boston mayoral candidate Josh Kraft and some city councilors want to see the project come to a halt – at least for now.
"The city needs to wait until the court date, March 18, to move forward with construction, demolition," Kraft said.
