The Pawtucket Red Sox (Class AAA; International League) have added another layer to their search for a new ballpark, as the team is creating a development entity. Known as Prospect Development Group: A Real Estate Development Arm of the PawSox, the division is a separate entity from the team.
Discussions of a new ballpark in Pawtucket have continued, as the PawSox are looking for a long-term facility in place of McCoy Stadium. Two sites– the location of an Apex department store, along with the Tidewater site, located along Taft Street–are contenders for a new ballpark. As part of the broader picture, both team and local officials hope that the ballpark will generate development in Pawtucket.
The PawSox have formed the Prospect Development Group as a way to consider options, and look more closely at how other cities have previously worked development into ballpark projects. More from The Valley Breeze:
According to PawSox Vice Chairman Mike Tamburro, who will help lead Prospect Development Group, the motivation for creating the new entity is “as simple as us wanting to invest in the town that’s been our home for 40 years.”
“Recently we’ve seen teams like the Durham Bulls and the Toledo Mud Hens take particularly active roles in development efforts surrounding their successful ballparks, and as we search for a sustainable long-term home for the PawSox in Pawtucket, we want to explore those teams’ models, doing our part to try and ensure that both the ballpark and its surrounding area are year-round, vibrant assets for this region,” he said.
Tamburro added that the team has “heard the mayor’s vision loud and clear, and we’re eager to help advance his goals” for a vibrant development district.
In a statement, [Pawtucket mayor Donald] Grebien said the new development arm “only strengthens” the commitment the PawSox have already made to Pawtucket as a long-term.
At this point, the team is still working with officials at the city and state level to hone the financial details of the project, and no final site has been determined. Dan Rea, the PawSox’s executive vice president and general manager, has been appointed to serve as the Prospect Development Group’s executive director.
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