Though there’s no money involved — yet — Worcester Mayor Joseph Petty want his city to make a concerted play for the Pawtucket Red Sox (Class AAA; International League), as the team looks for a potential new home.
It’s really a symbolic move, as the PawSox and city government have not met formally to discuss any manner of new ballpark or funding, although PawSox officials have twice visited Worcester to check out the city and ballpark sites. The resolution from Petty would direct the city manager to make a new ballpark a priority:
“The City Council does hereby support in principle the relocation of the Red Sox Triple A baseball team to Worcester including building a stadium to accommodate this team and further, request the City Manager do all that is reasonably in his power to facilitate this move.”
The resolution will be taken up the City Council on Aug. 15.
The PawSox have been casting about to an alternative to 75-year-old McCoy Stadium after its lease expires in 2020. The PawSox have made a push to construct a new ballpark in Pawtucket as part of an $83-million project. Under the terms of that proposal, the ballpark would be built at the site of an Apex department store, with the team paying $45 million ($12 million upfront, the rest paybacks on money borrowed by the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency), Rhode Island paying $23 million (with Pawtucket committed to paying the money back), and the city paying $15 million.
But that proposal is not going anywhere, and the PawSox front office has expanded its search to greater Massachusetts, including Worcester.
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