There is much to like about the new proposal to build a modern ballpark for the Pawtucket Red Sox. That starts with a more-even consideration of the interests of the team’s owners, host city and state than a much-criticized 2015 pitch.
The new plan also manages to do what proponents of the earlier proposal said wasn’t economically feasible – keep the team in Pawtucket, where it has become part of the fabric of the community.
Two years ago, PawSox ownership put Pawtucket and the state on the defensive with a unilateral $85 million proposal to build a new stadium in Providence. Not only would Pawtucket have lost a desperately needed economic catalyst, but the state would have been responsible for most of the funding for the new ballpark.
Funding under the new $83 million plan is more-evenly split, with the team taking on a much bigger share, 54 percent, the state much less, 28 percent, and Pawtucket 18 percent. Unlike the 2015 plan, the new pitch calls for the park to be publicly owned – and when tax revenue is factored in, to pay for itself – according to Gov. Gina M. Raimondo.
The new proposal must still be publicly vetted and tax groups have already criticized the taxpayer support. But the benefits of keeping the team in the state for decades to come will not come without a price.
The team’s willingness to work with R.I. Commerce Corp. and city leaders to craft the plan significantly increases the odds lawmakers will rightly see it as a worthy investment.
