Latest news with #EmeraldNecklaceConservancy
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Boston's White Stadium legal battle continues as plaintiffs appeal judge's dismissal
The legal battle over the renovation of the historic White Stadium in Boston's Franklin Park will continue as a group of residents opposed to the project appeal a judge's decision to throw out their lawsuit. Franklin Park Defenders, the group of plaintiffs that includes the nonprofit Emerald Necklace Conservancy (ENC), said late last week they plan to appeal the April decision that the land surrounding White Stadium was not protected under the Massachusetts Constitution. They had argued that renovating the city-owned property for use in part by a new professional women's soccer team would illegally change it from park and recreation land to private commercial use. 'It's our mission to protect and support our public parks for future generations – even when it's hard,' conservancy President Karen Mauney-Brodek said in a statement. 'This proposal for Franklin Park is the biggest change to public land in Boston and the Emerald Necklace in at least half a century, and it hasn't received the thorough legal vetting the public deserves. ... We're committed to partnering with the city, and anyone else, to make a fully public renovated White Stadium a reality.' Since its construction in the 1940s, the aging venue has fallen into disrepair because the school district has been unable to keep up with maintenance costs. The interior of one of the two grandstands was locked off to the public after it was destroyed by a fire decades ago. It was never rebuilt and has since been demolished in preparation for constructing the new stadium. The city has partnered with Boston Unity Soccer Partners, the owners of a new professional women's soccer team to be known as Boston Legacy FC, to renovate the stadium at an estimated cost of at least $200 million. The city's portion, an estimated $90 million, will cover the renovation of the east grandstand for use by Boston Public Schools (BPS) students. The soccer team will cover the remainder and lease the venue for up to 20 games and 20 practices per year. Outside of game and practice times, the facility will be open for Boston Public Schools, city and public use. Opponents of the project have claimed that the renovation, which is already underway, would take away access to a public asset and would be an inappropriate use of city funds. The Emerald Necklace Conservancy and a group of individual Boston residents initially filed the lawsuit in early 2024, but received an early loss as a judge declined to pause the project as the case played out. During a three-day trial in March, the plaintiffs argued that the 14-acre parcel of land containing the stadium was protected by a constitutional provision known as Article 97. The rule requires a two-thirds majority vote of the state Legislature for any publicly owned parkland to be used for any other purpose. However, to be covered, the city of Boston would have had to explicitly record it as a park. Suffolk Superior Court Judge Matthew Nestor ruled that the property was not parkland and had instead treated it as a school building since the stadium was initially constructed. 'There is simply inadequate evidence that the everyday use of the property evinces an unequivocal intent to dedicate the property as public parkland,' he wrote. When announcing the appeal, the plaintiffs said Nestor had not addressed several of their legal arguments, including the effects the project would have on the surrounding Franklin Park, the legality of selling alcohol on school-owned property and their claims of violations of the trust that owns the land. Not all members of the surrounding community oppose the project. After the Franklin Park Defenders announced their appeal, another group of residents denounced the decision to prolong the case, calling it 'an irresponsible tantrum backed by deep pockets.' 'Rather than acting as a true champion for the community, ENC leadership has chosen obstruction over collaboration, using its position to disparage anyone who supports the stadium's revitalization — including BPS students and families who want nothing more than a safe, vibrant place to play and compete," said Dot Fennell and Beth Santos, two BPS mothers who have led a grassroots group of supporters of the project. 'Boston Public School kids need partners, not lawsuits. ENC should drop this baseless fight and put its millions where its mission is — into the park, not the courtroom.' A spokesperson for the city said that city officials had met with the ENC board after Nestor's ruling to 'pursue a collaborative approach' in the future and were 'disappointed and frustrated' by the appeal. 'We will not be deterred from delivering the decades-delayed White Stadium renovation that generations of BPS students and park users deserve, and which is now finally underway,' the spokesperson said. 'The renovated athletic complex will be open for student and public use at least 15 hours per day, more than 345 days per year, delivered at half the price for taxpayers because of our partnership with Boston Legacy, a professional women's soccer team ... Given the expense to Boston taxpayers of continuing to defend against ENC's already-rejected claims, the city will carefully consider the future of its relationship with ENC to better protect residents and our parks.' A spokesperson for Boston Legacy told the Boston Herald that the team was likewise disappointed, but remained 'focused on advancing the work that is well underway as we prepare for the 2026 NWSL season.' Boston celebrates White Stadium victory as construction moves forward Judge rejects lawsuit over White Stadium project, says land isn't protected Boston professional women's soccer team announces new name Read the original article on MassLive.
Boston Globe
12-05-2025
- Business
- Boston Globe
Boston's Vivien Li is feted for a lifetime of environmental work
Li's career as an environmentalist essentially spans the length of the modern environmental movement: She got started 55 years ago, around the same time as the first Earth Day, when Richard Nixon was president. As a teenager, she helped organize 'nocturnal ecologists' to surreptitiously clean up litter at night around her New Jersey community, and stayed engaged while attending Barnard College in the 1970s. Advertisement Now, Li's contributions are being recognized through the publication of UC Berkeley , and by the awarding of the Emerald Necklace Conservancy . Li is on a speaking tour of sorts, tied into the Bancroft Library project and Earth Day 2025 (April 22), that includes stops at the Boston Public Library and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce . Li led The Boston Harbor Association (now Boston Harbor Now ) for more than 20 years, taking over the nonprofit in 1991 and helping it out of a financial crisis. Her most visible claim to fame could be the 40-plus mile Harborwalk along Boston's waterfront. At the chamber event last month, she talked about how early help from waterfront developers such as John Drew and the late Norman Leventhal turned out to prove crucial to its completion. Her first decade with the association also coincided with the multibillion-dollar cleanup of the harbor. Advertisement Li left Boston in 2015 to take on a similar role with Riverlife in Pittsburgh, and returned to Boston nearly three years later to help with older family members who had health issues. She's retired now, though busy with several nonprofit boards and commissions — and with sharing advice for the next generation of advocates. 'Even in these difficult times, I'm optimistic,' Li said. 'Who knows? Maybe we'll bring back 'nocturnal ecologists.'' Senate President Karen Spilka, seen here with Governor Maura Healey (at right), wants to offer a tax break to help get multifamily residential projects off the ground. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff Giving 'em a break Could a sales tax break help reignite stalled housing construction? Senate President Karen Spilka sure hopes so. Speaking at the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday, Spilka announced the Senate will explore removing the sales tax on construction materials for multifamily projects. Spilka mentioned it in the context of how Trump administration Chamber chief executive Jim Rooney praised the sales tax idea in a Q&A with Spilka after her speech. Housing production right now, he said, is flat at best, and Governor Maura Healey has said the Senator Julian Cyr , Spilka's point person on housing issues, said he'll push an amendment to the Senate's proposed state budget that calls for studying the issue; the legislation would then need to be approved by the House in upcoming negotiations. Advertisement The concept surfaced 'We need to be creative,' Spilka said told the chamber. 'Nothing is off the table here.' Warren Buffett and Eliot Tatelman both recently made retirement announcements. handout Not just a store As the omnipresent pitchman for Jordan's Furniture , Eliot Tatelman is a tough act to follow. But MullenLowe US chief executive Frank Cartagena sounds eager to try. No, we won't see Cartagena's face in Jordan's commercials. Instead, MullenLowe announced it will be the first ad agency of record for the Dedham-based chain, following several decades when its often-quirky advertising was handled largely in-house. MullenLowe's hiring comes as the Berkshire Hathaway -owned furniture chain girds for life without Tatelman at the forefront. Josh Tatelman and Michael Tatelman , took over but will not appear in ads like their dad. (Coincidentally, Berkshire Hathaway chief executive Warren Buffett just made It was an account that everyone in MullenLowe's Boston office wanted a part of, Cartagena said. Cartagena is based in New York, but he grew up in Bolton and is all too familiar with the Jordan's shtick: As a kid, his parents dragged him along for furniture shopping to a Jordan's store with the promise of watching an IMAX movie there. 'I knew that if we won this, everyone is going to go out to make sure it's a success,' Cartagena said. It's unclear how much longer Tatelman will appear in Jordan's ads. MullenLowe is still figuring out the best way to transition into the new era. Advertisement 'The last thing we want to do is just go dark on Eliot,' Cartagena said. 'I think you would have a mutiny in New England.' Mark Barrocas, chief executive of SharkNinja, has been on a mission to move his US-bound manufacturing work out of China. Jon Chomitz/via SharkNinja SharkNinja cleans up its China work In the consumer products industry, moving your supply chain out of China is all the rage — and for good reason, given the Trump administration's approach to tariffs Good thing for Investors responded, sending the stock up nearly 13 percent in one day. (Shares soared again on Monday after a tentative deal on China tariffs was announced, though they're still short of their levels in February.) All of SharkNinja's US-bound products were once made in China. Within two months, that will be down to 13 percent, and close to zero by year's end. The company began diversifying its supply chain in large part because of China tariffs under Trump 1.0. 'It was not fully understood by investors the competitive advantage we were building by [moving] outside of China,' Barrocas said in an interview Thursday. 'It wasn't like we just woke up on April 2 and said, 'We have to move out of China.' ' Julie Kim, pictured in this 2023 photo, will take over as CEO of Takeda in mid-2026. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Heads down in crazy times Julie Kim is due to be promoted to chief executive of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. next year. First, though, the head of the Japanese drugmaker's US operations had some business advice to share with the hometown crowd. Advertisement Speaking on Thursday at the Associated Industries of Massachusetts annual meeting, Kim offered tips and tactics for navigating uncertain times. Judging from recent surveys of AIM members, the crowd could use some cheering up: Kim said several biopharma-specific executive orders have added to the general apprehensiveness around her industry, along with the broader 'global uncertainty.' (Earlier in the day, for example, Kim spoke on an earnings call about the anticipated impact from one order Trump ended up signing on Monday, The key, Kim said, is to stay focused on your own personal mission, as well as your company's. 'We're in a moment where [the] landscape is shifting at such a dizzying pace due to both positive and negative forces,' Kim said. 'Some days, at least for me, it feels hard to steady ourselves.' She said executives have managed through disruption before. They can do it again. She likened the need to stay focused to the act of putting on noise-canceling earbuds when traveling. 'It may feel like we're on that noisy plane right now,' Kim said. 'There are distractions coming from every direction. [But] we can't be a pinball in a pinball machine being whacked around responding to every single stimulus.' Jon Chesto can be reached at
Boston Globe
20-03-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
White Stadium trial, Day 3: Closing arguments as judge weighs plaintiffs' demands to end NWSL renovation project
A verdict hinges on the ability of the plaintiffs, led by the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, to convince Nestor that the project violates a state park land protection law, Article 97, and should require legislative approval in order to proceed. Related : Advertisement Before defense attorney Gary Ronan, representing the city, rebutted each of the eight counts brought by the plaintiffs, he argued that Article 97 is concerned with the public's right to enjoy natural resources. 'It is not about protecting buildings, it is not about protecting man-made structures, it is not about protecting large concrete sports stadiums where 10,000 people can sit on man-made construction,' said Ronan. Ronan also argued that Article 97 does not apply to any impacts made by the existence of a man-made structure such as White Stadium on a park such as Franklin Park. Lead plaintiff attorney Alan Lipkind challenged the meaning of impact from a different perspective. Lipkind argued that even if the judge rules that the stadium parcel lies outside of Article 97's purview, he must consider that travel to and from the stadium requires using Franklin Park's Article 97-protected roads to get to the property. By issuing a license instead of an easement in the stadium-usage agreement with the team, Lipkind maintained, the city and team dodged an issue that would have prompted legislative approval. 'No one is going to put $200 million on an island for a project like this unless they have a right to get to that parcel. It would be insane to do that,' he said. Advertisement Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media Partners, Related : Before the attorneys spoke, Nestor also gave 'a 21st century shoutout to a 20th century man,' George Robert White, the person ultimately responsible for everyone's attendance in the Superior Court Room 304, given that White Stadium was built in 1947 with funds from White's 1919 trust. Nestor noted that since White's death in 1922, funds from his trust have also supported a number of Boston neighborhood health centers, as well as the Franklin Park Zoo and Massachusetts Audubon Society. 'Those are all things that impact people directly in the city of Boston today, so kudos to Mr. White,' said Nestor. 'One other thing he did, in the town of Acton, he set up a trust to help the poor and unfortunate — irrespective of citizenship. I'll just leave that there.' Nestor also acknowledged the well-attended courtroom gallery, where supporters of the plaintiffs, as well as some for the defendants, sat for all three days of the trial. 'I've seen you in the back and — it's not the usual, I don't know how to describe it — you don't hate each other, which is great because no matter what happens in this case, the neighborhood's going to go forward in one fashion or another and you're all going to still be neighbors and still be friends,' said Nestor. Michael Silverman can be reached at
Boston Globe
18-03-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
Here's what happened on Day 1 of the trial over the renovation of White Stadium
On Monday, Nestor Alan Lipkind, lead attorney for the plaintiffs, used his opening statement in part to reinforce the notion that the 'shiny object' of the proposed new stadium can't help but represent 'a significant change of use' that would violate Article 97 and halt the project until and unless the state legislature approved it. Advertisement Gary Ronan, lead attorney for the City of Boston, the first named defendant, concentrated on how the new stadium is simply a second iteration of White Stadium, which was built in 1949. 'The project is entirely consistent with Article 97,' said Ronan. The law 'talks about the public's right to the natural environment — trees and air, not large concrete buildings. 'White Stadium is a 75-year-old Boston Public Schools sports stadium made of concrete that is at the end of its useful life.' The The new one is expected to cost more than $200 million to house a new professional women's soccer team for 40 days a year, with BPS student-athletes and the community having priority access for the remainder. The plaintiffs called five witnesses: plaintiffs Renee Stacy Welch, Louis Elisa, founder of the Franklin Park Coalition, and Dr. Jean McGuire; a consultant, John Bailey; and Karen Mauney-Brodek, president of lead plaintiff Emerald Necklace Conservancy. Advertisement Asked about how the proposed project would impact her, the 93-year-old McGuire said, 'I can't see how you are going to use this for a professional team when it's used by the schools and freely used by the public — it's kind of a conflict.' She added, 'It would be very difficult for people who don't live near the stadium to pile into it. There's nowhere to park.' After the plaintiffs' final witness, the judge denied a request from the defendants to issue a ruling that the plaintiffs had not made a case for an Article 97 violation. Superior Court Judge Matthew Nestor is presiding over the White Stadium trial. Nancy Lane/Pool The defendants' first witness, Diana Fernandez Bibeau, deputy chief of urban design for the city, is expected to continue her testimony when the trial resumes Wednesday. At the conclusion of the day's proceedings, Welch, who has used the park since she was a girl and now works for the Emerald Necklace Conservancy, said the battle will continue even if the verdict goes against the plaintiffs. 'We're still going to keep fighting, we're not going to stop,' said Welch outside the courthouse. 'We owe it to ourselves as neighbors, as voters, as taxpayers to fight this fight here in Boston because this sets a precedent for the rest of the country, it sets a precedent for other people to go in and steal green space from communities, specifically urban communities.' One lighter moment: After McGuire finished her testimony, Ronan declared out of respect and deference he did not wish to cross-examine McGuire, the founder and executive director of METCO for 43 years and a former Boston Public School Committee member. Nestor then asked McGuire some questions about her memories of the park. McGuire went on to wax poetic about Franklin Park's beauty, at one point urging anyone who files in and out of Logan Airport to try to catch a glimpse of the park from above. Advertisement Nestor thanked McGuire for her testimony, saying 'it truly has been an honor,' which prompted a round of applause in the courtroom. Said Nestor: 'Usually I would say, 'No clapping in the courtroom,' but go ahead, it's fine.' Linda Henry, CEO of Boston Globe Media Partners, Michael Silverman can be reached at
Axios
26-02-2025
- Business
- Axios
How a soccer stadium became the first flashpoint in Boston's race for mayor
The redevelopment of Franklin Park's White Stadium into a home for professional soccer has emerged as the first major battleground in this year's mayoral race between Michelle Wu and Josh Kraft. Why it matters: The stadium controversy conveys some of the broad themes at the core of the Wu vs. Kraft race: community input in decision-making, fiscal responsibility, the role of big business and how the incumbent mayor handles it all. In painting Wu as out of touch with the voters who put her in office, Kraft, the son of a billionaire and a recent transplant to the city, is trying to flip the script and align himself with everyday Bostonians. Catch up quick: Partial demolition began last month on the 1949 stadium to make way for a $200 million transformation from dilapidated cement into a facility shared by a new professional women's soccer team and Boston Public Schools athletics. Wu backs the plan for the city to contribute about $100 million to the project in partnership with Boston Unity Soccer Partners, the investment group behind the new pro team. Kraft wants an immediate halt to the project until at least a March 18 court challenge. Friction point: Community groups like the Emerald Necklace Conservancy and Franklin Park Defenders have been ferocious in opposing the revamp, questioning the cost, traffic and the loss of a public asset to a private interest. Groups supporting the plan say the upgraded facility will boost BPS sports in the long term. The city expects 90% of stadium hours to be reserved for school and community use. The latest: The Boston Herald reported Tuesday that public records show discussions between the team and Wu's administration started in September 2022, seven months before the city solicited proposals for what to do with White Stadium. That's way before Boston Unity's eventual selection as the only bidder. Expect Kraft to characterize the secret early negotiations as part of Wu's top-down way of running City Hall. Of note: Kraft's family is simultaneously negotiating with the Wu administration over their proposed new men's soccer stadium in Everett. The bottom line: If the topics Emerson College's polling outfit has chosen to ask voters about is any indication, the stadium issue will be a big one, alongside immigration and bike lanes.
