Wu remains committed to the 11,000-seat stadium project despite strong opposition from city councilors and neighborhood groups, who criticize the rising costs. The mayor stated that the updated expenses reflect the final design, scope, and tariffs on construction materials.

"There have been lots of escalations in things that are outside the city's control, like steel prices going up 40% from when we started, or labor costs going up very significantly," Wu told WBUR. "A lot of things from federal policies and all the chaos that's been caused by this administration. But that doesn't explain all, or even most of the change in the numbers."

While the project’s demolition is complete, abatement and subsurface utility foundation work are ongoing, including upgraded power, water and telecommunications infrastructure set to finish this fall. Bond Building Construction Inc., the construction manager-at-risk for the city’s east half of the project, has completed the below-grade utility relocation phase, Carolyn Campot, a Bond spokeswoman, told ENR in an email.

“We are preparing for the first concrete pours for new building footings in February and will commence steel erection in April,” Campot said.

The final stadium design includes a professional-grade grass field, an eight-lane collegiate-level track, dedicated strength and conditioning facilities, a sports medicine center and flexible indoor study and community spaces, the city says.

Professional grass is more expensive to maintain than artificial turf, Wu noted, but is healthier for athletes. The design calls for a sub-air system to extend the number of days the grass can be used; the latest stadium design contributed to the higher cost, but she said it was finalized only after “a detailed community process.”

The state’s Supreme Judicial Court is currently reviewing an appeal to a lawsuit filed by opposition groups asserting that the project, located in the city’s historic Franklin Park, violates the state’s public land use laws. A ruling is expected this spring or summer. Opposition groups have also proposed a cheaper alternative stadium design just for Boston Public School athletes.  

“It’s only fair to expect that the ultimate cost to taxpayers will be even higher,” said Louis Elisa, a Dorchester resident who argues that it’s not too late “for the city to reconsider this fatally-flawed project, and instead build a much more affordable, fully-public high school stadium that meets the needs of BPS students and their families—not those of professional athletes and their investors.”

Jenifer Epstein, controlling owner of Boston Legacy FC, said in a statement that “we're ensuring that White Stadium remains a city-owned, year-round public asset for Boston public schools’ students and the community for generations.”

Construction is expected to continue into 2027.