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Boston Legacy pivot to Foxborough for first season, as White Stadium overhaul lags
Editor's Note: This is an excerpt from WBUR's daily morning newsletter, WBUR Today. If you like what you read and want it in your inbox, sign up here.
A spring nor'easter has us in its crosshairs today, with an all-day drenching in the Boston area and maybe even snow accumulating in the mountains. Click here for more details on the forecast today through Memorial Day. (The good-ish news is the weather will slowly improve over the course of the long weekend.)
But first, the news:
Change of plans: Boston's new pro women's soccer team will kick off its first season a lot like their MLS counterparts — in Foxborough. With just 10 months to go, the Boston Legacy FC announced yesterday that the overhaul of White Stadium in Boston's Franklin Park will not be ready by the start of their inaugural season next March. Instead, the team said it will play its 2026 home games at Gillette Stadium, before moving to its "permanent home at White Stadium" in 2027.
- What they're saying: In a statement to WBUR, a Legacy spokesperson stressed the club remains committed to the controversial White Stadium renovation plan, despite the setback. "White Stadium construction is well underway, but construction will not be finished by March of 2026," the statement said. "For this reason, we have selected Gillette Stadium as an alternate site for 2026 to ensure the consistent, high-level experience our fans and players deserve."
- They won't be alone: The temporary relocation gives NWSL schedulers a few obstacles to work around. Besides serving as the home of the New England Patriots in the fall, Gillette Stadium also hosts New England Revolution home games from late February through mid October. Additionally, the stadium will be home to seven high-profile men's World Cup games next June and July.
- The backdrop: The news yesterday comes after a judge sided with Legacy and the City of Boston last month in a legal battle with some local residents who oppose the White Stadium project, allowing construction to continue. Project opponents announced last Friday they will appeal the judge's decision. Melissa Hamel, a Jamaica Plain resident and plaintiff in the lawsuit against the project, told WBUR's Rachell Sanchez-Smith she hopes the extra time is an opportunity to "take a breath and reconsider what the community really wants."
After the MCAS: Massachusetts' board of education has approved new stand-in statewide requirements for high school graduation, after voters scrapped the use of the MCAS test as the standard last fall. Beginning with next year's class, the new rules will require students to complete specific classes in English language arts, math and science. U.S. history will be also added to that list, starting with the class of 2027.
- What's next: Gov. Maura Healey has put together a council to study and recommend a new permanent statewide graduation standard by next July. But whatever they recommend will likely need State House approval, which.... could take awhile. One education board member even suggested it might not be until the 2030s that an entire high school class is covered by a new permanent standard.
Blue-plate special: Massachusetts is now offering a new specialty license plate to drivers who are really jazzed about the state's semiquincentennial. Beginning today, you can order the blue plate, which includes the slogan "250 years of independence," and the year 1776, instead of the usual "Spirit of America." Like most other specialty plates, it costs $40 and needs to be renewed every two years. Here's what it looks like.
Meanwhile at Terminal E: Two new nonstop European routes are taking flight today at Logan Airport. JetBlue is adding seasonal daily flights out of Boston to both Madrid and Edinburgh starting today through Oct. 24. The new routes come a week after TAP Air Portugal launched seasonal nonstop Logan-to-Porto flights, four days a week.
- By the numbers: You can now fly directly to 59 international destinations — including 22 in Europe — from Logan, according to Massport.
High seas: MBTA ferry passengers have a good excuse to work remotely today. Lynn and Quincy ferry service to Boston is suspended because of the storm "and the resulting rough seas." Click here for updates on how today's storm affects T service.
P.S.— Boston's Public Art Triennial officially launches today (fortunately, with some indoor events). Here's a map of where to find all 20 public art installations around Boston, and you can read more here about the Triennial's larger vision for the city.
