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Polar Park construction shutdown may affect 2021 opening

Polar Park April 14

City Manager Ed Augustus says that a lengthy delay in construction of Polar Park, planned as the new home of the Worcester Red Sox (Class AAA; International League), may affect the planned 2021 opening.

Construction at the Worcester construction site was shut down April 1, with a planned relaunch date of May 4 as part of a larger shutdown ordered by Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker. At that time, local officials said that a shorter slowdown would not affect an April 2021 opening, but now it looks like there is the potential of a longer shutdown–and the longer the shutdown, the more precarious the April 2021 opening. From MassLive.com:

“A month, two months, I think we can make that schedule up,” Augustus said. “If you get into three, four, five months, I think it makes it really hard to make that schedule.”…

“I think it really depends on how long we’re closed,” Augustus said. “Right now we’re closed through May 4. [It matters] whether that date holds, or ends up being a different date.”

Polar Park is one of many new ballparks slated to open for the 2021 season, and one of two Minor League Baseball currently scheduled for the season. Again, it’s way too early to determine how the construction schedule has been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic, and there are various ways Minor League Baseball can handle scheduling, including a lengthy road trip to begin the season or alternate sites.

Image courtesy Polar Park, taken April 14.

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