Worcester, MA officials continue to explore a possible new ballpark for the Pawtucket Red Sox (Class AAA; International League), and reportedly had a recent meeting with the team.
While the PawSox have proposed a new ballpark in Pawtucket, Worcester is one of the other cities that is in the mix to land the club should it relocate. PawSox executives have visited Worcester on multiple occasions, and a location in the city’s Canal District has been targeted as a possible ballpark site.
The PawSox’s proposal in Pawtucket calls for a new ballpark to be constructed as part of an $83 million project, using funds from the team, city, and State of Rhode Island. Proponents of the plan believe it could be a catalyst for downtown development, but it remains to be seen whether Rhode Island lawmakers are prepared to vote on–and ultimately approve–it in a timely fashion.
In Worcester, a recent meeting included team executives, as well as state and local officials. It is believed that any plan in Worcester will ultimately involve the participation of the PawSox, city, and State of Massachusetts. More from The Telegram:
Massachusetts Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Jay Ash was in town on Monday and visited City Hall. Pawtucket Red Sox and local sources confirmed that among those involved in the talks were City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr; economic development consultant Jeffrey Mullan; sports economist Andrew Zimbalist, also a city consultant; PawSox president Larry Lucchino; and Pawtucket general manager Dan Rea.
Baseball, and the city’s efforts to attract the Triple A team, was the topic.
Ash’s inclusion in the meeting, one source said, was significant in that any proposal to build a new stadium here would be “a three-legged stool” involving the city, state and PawSox ownership.
This comes on the heels of Pawtucket Red Sox executives including Rea, Chief Financial Officer Joe Golderg and vice-president Bill Wanless’ visit to a Railers hockey game last Tuesday at the DCU Center and a meeting a week earlier here involving city officials and their consultants.
Worcester is not the only Massachusetts city to be connected to the PawSox, as the team has reportedly mulled Attleboro as an alternative. Land off of Interstate 95 has been reported as a possible location for an Attleboro ballpark, though it remains to be seen if it will emerge as a viable option. A new ballpark would replace McCoy Stadium, where the team’s lease expires after the 2020 season.
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