PAWTUCKET – An economic-development study regarding two new potential sites for a Pawtucket Red Sox stadium is expected to be completed by the end of next week, according to Antonio J. Pires, the city’s director of administration.
“At least I’m hoping the study will be done by the end or middle of next week,” Pires said Tuesday.
Pires said the study, commissioned by the city, is focusing on the economic-development potential of the Apex site on Main Street and the Tidewater & National Grid site off Taft Street along the Seekonk River.
The cost of the study is not to exceed $25,000, to be split between the team and the city. Funding will be requested from the city’s redevelopment authority, Pires said.
The PawSox play at the 75-year-old McCoy Stadium, which is tucked into a primarily residential neighborhood. Renovations to McCoy have been estimated at $68.1 million, with a rebuild even more expensive, at $78.4 million.
In an interview last week, Mike Tamburro, PawSox vice chairman, said the team ownership is talking with city and state officials regarding which site would offer the most benefits for all three parties from an economic standpoint.
Pires said the study is being conducted by Brailsford & Dunlavey, an economic-development consultant that was hired by Pendulum Studio II LLC to provide economic impact estimates for a feasibility study on McCoy, the results of which were released earlier this year. Brailsford said McCoy lacked room for ancillary development. That development would be a key component of a new stadium.
Pires said Brailsford was a natural choice to conduct the study as it is already familiar with the city, having done work on the feasibility study.
Tamburro said the PawSox hope to have an acceptable financing plan in place by the end of the legislative session. Pires said they also intend to hold a public meeting about any future plan.
He said it’s possible that a new stadium could be built for the 2021 season.
While it’s too soon to say which site would be better for the PawSox, Pires said because of the geography and proximity to downtown, “there’s a sense that the Apex site might provide us with more economic-development opportunities, but frankly we don’t know that.” The Apex site is approximately 9 acres, with another 3 acres in ancillary parcels.
As for the Tidewater site, he said a benefit is that the city owns some of the land, 8 acres along the riverfront, with National Grid owning the remaining 16 acres. A stadium would be a “positive remediation” of the property, Pires said.
Pires said there is close to 2 million square feet of idle factory space in both Central Falls and Pawtucket, and a new stadium downtown could be a catalyst for residential development.
“It’s a win-win situation for the city, state and the ball club, based on the economics of it,” Pires said about a new stadium. “We’ve come to understand the benefits a new ballpark would have. We’re not completely turning our back on McCoy, but … economic opportunity might be better at a newer site.”
Lori Stabile is the PBN web editor.
