White Stadium Neighborhood Advisory Council Announced

Mayor Michelle Wu today in partnership with Boston Legacy FC announced the creation of the White Stadium Neighborhood Advisory Council (WSNAC), a 15-member advisory body established to engage communities and provide input on the White Stadium project. 

Created under the project’s lease and governing agreements, the council creates a structured forum for information-sharing, discussion, and community feedback as White Stadium is built and prepares for operations. WSNAC will serve as an advisory voice representing neighbors and park users on stadium operations, transportation, scheduling, logistics, and other topics of neighborhood interest.

The council members represent a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including residents from Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Mattapan, park users, BPS student athletes, local businesses, faith leaders, and youth sports organizations. Members will receive regular updates from the City, BPS Athletics, the Parks Department, and Boston Legacy FC, and will provide ongoing community feedback and perspectives on construction progress and stadium operations. 

“The White Stadium Neighborhood Advisory Council will help ensure that the community continues to steer investments in two of our most beautiful and treasured public spaces in Boston—White Stadium and Franklin Park,” said Mayor Michelle Wu. “This group will be instrumental to making sure this project reflects the needs and priorities of our residents."

“The White Stadium Neighborhood Advisory Council formalizes what Boston Legacy FC believes is essential to this project’s success: an ongoing, meaningful partnership with the community,” said Kim Miner, Chief External Affairs Officer, Boston Legacy FC. “It will play a critical role in building trust and accountability through transparency and ongoing engagement, providing a consistent forum for listening to and sharing neighborhood perspectives.”

The inaugural members of the White Stadium Neighborhood Advisory Council who will serve two-year terms, include:

Co-Chairs

• Luis Perez Demorizi, Executive Director of Franklin Park
• Matt Balk, Boston Legacy FC Head of Facilities
• Anshi Moreno Jimenez, City Coordinator

Ex-officio Members

• Brian Worrell, City Councilor for District 4 
• Benjamin J. Weber, City Councilor for District 6
• Rev. Miniard Culpepper, City Councilor for District 7

General Members

• Sam DePina, Boston Public Schools Athletics
• Tony DaRocha, Youth Sports Coach
• Camila Restrepo, Boston Public Schools Student Athlete 
• Rickie Thompson, Franklin Park Coalition President
• Beth Santos, local Business Owner (co-owner of Ula Café) and BPS Parent
• Marilyn Forman, Dorchester Representative
• Tony Brewer, Roxbury Representative 
• Kevin Batt, Jamaica Plain Representative 
• Pastor Dana Gonsal, Mattapan Representative

Under the terms of the Cooperation Agreement, negotiated in December 2023, “A White Stadium Neighborhood Advisory Council (“WSNAC”) will be established at the earliest practicable time. Membership shall include District Councilors and representatives of residents from park-adjacent neighborhoods of Dorchester, Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, and Mattapan, park users, Boston Public Schools, and the Applicant. WSNAC will be co-chaired by the Parks Department and the Applicant.”

Following the stadium’s inaugural season at White Stadium, the advisory council will receive and review the Annual Stadium Operations Report submitted by Boston Legacy FC, covering transportation, sound management, lighting, trash, event scheduling, and more. The council will also review the annual Transportation Management and Operations Plan and provide feedback as a representative body of residents, identifying what worked well and what could be improved in future seasons.

WSNAC members will also share feedback and ideas for the Community Annual Fund, a $500,000 commitment that will increase annually by 3% and is funded entirely by Boston Legacy. The Annual Fund will be established by the City and Boston Legacy, with guidance from its own advisory body, as established under the lease documents. It is one part of more than $252 million in privately-funded community benefits over the next 15 years stemming from the White Stadium project.