Partnership promises to award 50% of contracting dollars to minority- and women-owned businesses for White Stadium project
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A new partnership is happening in the city, intending to increase their contracting with local businesses, especially minority- and women-owned businesses, for the White Stadium project.
Mayor Michelle Wu, the City of Boston Office of Economic Opportunity and Inclusion, and Boston Unity Soccer Partners have joined forces and formed the White Stadium Supplier Diversity Group.
The key goals of the group are to increase access to contracting opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses by streamlining information and outreach, support businesses in navigating procurement processes and securing contracts, strengthen partnerships with local organizations to ensure long-term economic benefits for local communities, and provide ongoing oversight and accountability to track progress toward business participation goals.
Segun Idowu, chief of economic opportunity and inclusion for the city of Boston, said in a statement that they are not just setting goals but are building real pathways for local minority- and women-owned businesses to thrive at every stage of this project.
“By leveraging the Supplier Diversity Advisory Group’s expertise, we will ensure that local businesses — both emerging and established — have access to meaningful opportunities to grow, contribute, and be part of the long-term success of White Stadium,” he said.
This group of community leaders and small business organizations will support the city and Boston Unity Soccer Partners’ commitment to awarding 50% of all total contracting dollars for the design, construction and ongoing operations of the White Stadium renovation project to minority- and women-owned business enterprises.
This commitment to reach 50% of minority- and women-owned business enterprises for contracting opportunities was one of the community goals and benefits the city announced when signing the lease agreement.
According to the city, the White Stadium renovation project “will be a transformational investment in BPS Athletics and Franklin Park, serving as a hub for youth sports, community programming, and professional soccer with dramatically expanded public access.”
The upgraded complex will include state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor facilities, including modern locker rooms, a sports medicine suite, a strength and conditioning center, a professional grass field, an eight-lane track and community event spaces.
Other new parts of the project will include public access being expanded to 15 hours a day, seven days a week, for more than 345 days a year, and White Stadium will also become the home to Boston’s new professional women’s soccer team, hosting up to 20 National Women’s Soccer League game days annually.
The partnership with Boston Unity Soccer Partners will also bring a range of other community benefits, according to the city, which includes an annual Community Benefits Fund (a $500,000 annual contribution, increasing by 3% annually) to support local organizations and initiatives, a Franklin Park Preservation Fund (a $1-per-ticket contribution from every National Women’s Soccer League game to fund Franklin Park Action Plan projects), a Tree Bank Establishment (the planting of more than 500 trees within Franklin Park), an estimated creation of 500 new construction jobs and 300 new permanent jobs, and Boston Public School partnerships (scholarships, internships, and mentorship with the National Women’s Soccer League team to expand career pathways for Boston youth).
Jennifer Epstein, controlling manager of Boston Unity Soccer Partners, said in a statement that from the start of this project, their commitment has been to build more than just a stadium — they are investing in the community.
“The Supplier Diversity Advisory Group will help ensure that Boston’s local businesses are at the center of this transformation, creating real economic opportunities that last well beyond game days,” she said.
The new stadium will be completed through a dual-construction model, bringing together two design and construction teams to deliver a modern, sustainable, and accessible facility.
The city said that this model reinforces the need for early coordination, ensuring businesses of all sizes and backgrounds can actively participate in the renovation process.
Mayor Michelle Wu said in a statement that the city is built on local business owners, and the renovation of the White Stadium is an exciting opportunity for local development in the community.
“Together with the Boston Unity Soccer Partners, we are working to ensure our local minority- and women-owned businesses are connected to this opportunity early and often during all stages of this project,” she said.
One of the Advisory Group members, Nicole Obi, president and CEO of the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA), said in a statement that as Wu celebrated the legal victory enabling the White Stadium project to move forward, she reaffirmed the city’s commitment to ensuring that half of all funds for this project are awarded to minority- and women-owned businesses.
“As an Advisory Group member, I am pleased with the progress made to date toward the project’s procurement goals, including a recently awarded multi-year contract to a local, Black-led firm. We look forward to supporting the continued success of equitable procurement on this project,” she said.
Another Advisory Group member, co-chair of the Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee, Norman Stembridge, said in a statement that he is glad to hear about the city’s and the Boston Unity Soccer Partners’ goal to award 50% of all total contracting dollars, for the design, construction and ongoing operations of the White Stadium renovation project to minority- and women-owned business enterprises.
“The Roxbury Strategic Master Plan Oversight Committee has always advocated for developers to meet or exceed hiring numbers used in the city’s Boston Residents Jobs Policy (BRJP). Hopefully, the city and the [Boston Unity Soccer Partners] can achieve or surpass the goal of 50%. The progress and the numbers need to be reported and made available to the community on a regular basis,” he said.
The city, Boston Unity Soccer Partners, and the Advisory Group will host a series of Contracting Opportunity Fairs this spring and summer. The next one will take place on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at Lena Park Community Center at 6:00 p.m.
The city said that the events will introduce local contractors to the project timeline and procurement processes and provide networking opportunities with the construction teams. Businesses interested in attending can use this form to register.
The city will also launch a Supplier Diversity Dashboard on its White Stadium project webpage, providing updates on MWBE participation and progress.
The founder of the SRGE Construction Accelerator, who is also an Advisory group member, JocCole “JC” Burton said in a statement that the inclusive construction approach at the White Stadium in Franklin Park represents the city’s commitment to building infrastructure that truly serves all communities.
“By prioritizing diverse business participation and neighborhood engagement throughout the renovation process, this project sets a powerful standard for how urban development can create both physical and economic opportunity for historically underrepresented stakeholders,” she said.
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