City officials and architects working on proposed renovations to White Stadium’s West Grandstand and Globe area will announce several changes to the design tonight during an online public meeting that incorporates significant suggestions from the public. officials said.
One of the most significant changes was the elimination of what was known as the “Bean Building,” a new one-story building that would be added next to the Globe at the south end of the stadium, below the historic observation deck. . The Bean building was to serve as a year-round sales area, storage area and team store.
It has now been removed from the design and added to the south end of the stadium, in front of what is now the Globe. It was incorporated into the stadium’s new “wing” design approach and was built in the Grove area instead.
“In doing so, we were able to provide a better, more original view of the Overlook,” said Diana Fernandez of the Boston Planning and Development Department’s Urban Design Division, adding that the park’s founder, Frederick Law, He said it was the only original “significant headland” designed by Olmsted.
The building will remain as porous as possible, incorporating design elements that can be seen through to ensure sight lines into the stadium, rather than a concrete slab. They said it will also serve as a year-round concession area where Franklin Park patrons can pick up sandwiches and drinks during business hours, further activating the park in all seasons.
The area where the Bean building was located will be an open space that ties in with the existing walkway, and trees will be added to maintain the natural feel of the Overlook.
Similarly, permanent fencing around the Globe was also removed to create a more open, less exclusive atmosphere, said Morgan McDaniel, a city official in the mayor’s office who is White Stadium’s project leader. In some cases, temporary fences may be installed, but permanent fences, which are unpopular with the public, are no longer installed.
Another notable change is the removal of the Placestead Road entrance, which many felt was in the way of a natural tree-lined path popular with cyclists and pedestrians.
“We have heard loud and clear that the service activities on Plaisted Road are seen by people as interfering with the park.Instead, we intend to maintain it as a pedestrian walkway. ,” Fernandez said.
Service operations will be moved to the west grandstand on Pierpont Road, where game day shuttles arrive and depart.
Officials say the design of the wing will minimize the impact on the park and allow the architecture to be integrated and operate within the stadium’s current walls. It will also be possible to reduce the width of the west grandstand to save some traditional sugar maple tree and pudding stone exposure.
Similarly, the size of the soccer field will be reduced so that Boston Public Schools’ (BPS) eight-lane track will always be maintained and not covered with seats when not in use.
Officials noted that a significant amount of time will be spent on BPS players and community events, and provided a timeline that shows 90 percent of the season’s usage will be devoted to non-football operations. The current thinking is that Boston Unity will practice during the day on Friday and conduct game-day operations from Saturday afternoon until after 10 p.m.
They said that out of season, 100% of their time is spent on BPS and community use.
Despite this, the Boston Latin School (BLS) and Boston Latin Academy (BLA) football teams will still have to relocate. There will likely be time for Thanksgiving and rivalry games in late November after the football season, but those teams will likely need to find a new home. City Operations Director Dion Irish said the BLS will now hold soccer games and practices at Clemente Field in the Fens. BLA has not yet been able to secure a place to practice or play games.
Irish said that during the soccer season (March to November), soccer must be scheduled at a different location “to maintain the condition of the grass field.”
There are currently only seven BPS high school football teams, and many schools are no longer able to field teams. Jeremiah Burke High School in Dorchester, for example, was a state champion in the early 2000s and always a favorite, but it didn’t have a football team even before the pandemic. The possibility of playing one late-season game at White Stadium is expected to be a “catalyst” for further participation in the BPS sports program, Irish said.
Details regarding the operation of the Grove District are also a little murky so far, but McDaniel did clarify a few things, saying that Boston Unity Soccer plans to lease the Grove District, along with the stadium, year-round. did. They are responsible for maintaining the concession during all seasons, organizing community programs, and renting space to the community and area groups for events.
The fear is that the Globe could become popular with people outside the neighborhood, who could monopolize available time and drive out users from nearby areas.
McDaniel said a “neighborhood-versus-region” dynamic is what they are thinking about, and suggested a governance structure to oversee the use of the stadium and the Globe “so that the programming reflects what they want to see.” He said he did.
The topic touched on aspects of the formal lease and supporting documents that would legally codify Boston Unity’s use of the stadium and the Globe. So far, many people, including elected officials, have asked for a lease, but the city has not been able to get one done.
McDaniel said that’s because it’s still being negotiated and cannot be shared until that process is complete.
“The lease is a document that is currently being negotiated between the city and the private entity,” McDaniel said. “Due to ongoing negotiations, we cannot share it at this time. All commitments stated so far will be recorded in lease agreements and other regulatory documents.”
There will be four documents outlining the agreement, including a lease document, a cooperative agreement, a memorandum of understanding between Boston Parks and Boston Unity, and a Transportation Action Plan Agreement (TAPA).
It was not disclosed when these documents would be made public as part of the process.
“We are still incorporating feedback from the community into this program,” Fernandez said. “This is a work in progress and is not a done deal.”
Tonight’s meeting is the second of a series of three design process meetings the city will hold. The third meeting will be held on May 22nd.
The Boston Planning and Development Agency Impact Advisory Group meeting will be held online on May 15th from 6:00pm to 8:00pm as part of the Section 80 review process. The focus of that meeting is expected to be on transportation planning.
Other design changes include:
• The basketball court will remain on the east side of the field, but the tennis court adjacent to the Grove will be eliminated. The tennis courts will be relocated to Scarborough Fields, which is supported by tennis users and the Franklin Park Coalition.
•The scoreboard was moved further away from Playstead and incorporated further into the stadium.
•Removed paving from the Grove area and adjusted the walkway system in line with recommendations in the Franklin Park Action Plan.