While the owners of the Pawtucket Red Sox are focused on building a stadium in Providence, if things shouldn’t work out, Mayor Scott Avedisian has identified three Warwick sites …
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While the owners of the Pawtucket Red Sox are focused on building a stadium in Providence, if things shouldn’t work out, Mayor Scott Avedisian has identified three Warwick sites that he feels would be ideal for the team.
Avedisian said Friday he suggested Warwick in a letter to the late James Skeffington, but never heard back from him before the team’s co-owner died on May 17. And evidently the Warwick proposal went no further.
Patti Doyle, spokeswoman for the owners, said the Warwick offer was new to her.
“I fear it [the letter] didn’t make it to the owners,” she said Friday.
She said the owners are “singularly focused on one parcel,” adding, “we are still very focused and optimistic.” She said there has been “no dialogue on alternatives.”
The sites the mayor identified are all about six to eight acres and within walking distance of the train station at City Centre. They are also easily accessible to Route 95 and RIPTA service.
They are the D’Ambra Construction property on Jefferson Boulevard; Hillsgrove South on Post Road near the on ramp to the airport connector, now used for airport parking; and, as Avedisian calls it, the “old Valle’s” site on Post Road, now site of the vacant Atwood Grill.
The mayor said he figured Warwick should “throw something out” as the debate over relocating the stadium heated up.
“I don’t want to be in competition with Pawtucket,” Avedisian said, “but to give [the owners] options.”
Asked if the city would offer financial assistance or incentives, Avedisian said what he is proposing “is much more private sector driven” than what is currently being talked about. He thought tax stabilization agreements [TSA], which are being explored to kick start City Centre development, might be an option.
The mayor said a stadium would have a “spin off” benefit to area restaurants and businesses. Likewise, he thought there could be partnerships with sports teams and other organizations looking to use the facility.
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Justanidiot
Close. Worchester Sox. Or what they will be if the owners don't get what they want, hold their breath until they turn blue, and take their ball and run away. RI has better uses for its limited resources than to catering to baseball teams.
Tuesday, September 8, 2015 Report this
RISchadenfreude
It's nice to see a private-sector option; RI's taxpayers are repeatedly squeezed for public funding and never see the benefits. There's no reason that state residents should pay for a stadium in one city any more than they should have paid for the white-elephant Providence Place Mall and the Convention Center. The problem is that most residents aren't wise enough to realize that when someone says, "The State is paying for it" they mean, "YOU are paying for it", or they just don't care. The beneficiaries are the cronies in the General Assembly.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 Report this
dickcoutu
Great idea! Why not locate with the new Winslow Fields off Airport Rd. or just south of Main Ave. and the main runway. No more houses there!
Avedisian IS NOT A WELL PERSON! Too much sun!...
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 Report this
DanMurphy
As usual, Avedesian is overlooking massive taxpayer opposition, this time to TAXPAYER-SUBSIDIZED FINANCING. And RISchadenfreude seems to have confused that same issue.
Regardless of where the SkeffSox build (assuming they stay in Rhode Island), they will be seeking TAXPAYER-SUBSIDIZED FINANCING at the STATE level. Know that, and beware. Avedesian's history includes ignoring seventy-five percent of the city's largest voter turnout ever, regarding opposition to airport expansion.
The Skeffies would have you believe they want to stay in Rhode Island for a handful of misleading reasons, but the truth is, they want to stay here because WE ARE THE ONLY STATE THAT HANDS OUT 38 STUDIO-STYLE CORPORATE WELFARE.
This is not a Providence problem; it's a Rhode Island issue.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 Report this
Reality
It's interesting.....Scottie and Vella-Wilkinson place our children in harm's way by building a new ballfield within throwing distance of an active runway at Green for $7 million but Scottie suddenly finds different locations for people that have connections and money.
Shame on you Scottie and Vella-Wilkinson.
PS. I'm sure Fast Eddie Ladoceur will set up a committee at the city council to study the issue. Another joke.
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 Report this
JohnStark
As someone who is habitually critical of municipal government decisions, this one deserves more attention. The mayor has not committed to anything, but merely thrown out a few options. Instead of taking the requisite RI path ("No. Never. They're all greedy...") why not simply hear the plan?
Wednesday, September 9, 2015 Report this
bendover
Preposterous! The guy watching all this with a bemused look on his face is Bob Kraft. It is more than a rumor that at least one major investment bank is looking into financing of a new stadium for the NE Revolution in the greater Boston area. Don't think Kraft is blind to what an IL baseball venue near Patriot Place could do for retail traffic with 10-15K per home game times 60+ dates would mean to that area. Like Kraft, Lucchino, Ryan, Skeffington never met each other...? I'm sure they have each other on speed dial.
Meanwhile, in the real world of RI finances, Road and bridge infrastructure will likely cost $1B over 10 years just to make them safe and passable.
The infamous National Grid power station/museum/hotel is going to be dumped on URI, RIC and Brown for a rehab project that will be bonded for at least $200M+.
The Industrial Trust building, aka "superman building" will be back in the public view as an underfunded, would be developer comes sniffing for "economic development bond help." Cost unknown...$100M would be a good guess...
The Rocky Point debacle...They hooked you on the $15M bond, ($4M+ used to remove the lien on the Shooters property,) and here we have an admission right in this paper, YUP, we don't have the money to maintain the property, let alone expand...Real cost, unknown...more bonds on the horizon...
The ticking time bomb of the healthcare fiasco here, with its alphabet soup of various agencies and non profits...It would appear the problem is now about $350M in red ink...and growing.
There are many more, I'm sure that have escaped my memory for the moment...Point is, A deal is not a deal when you can't afford it. RI needs to take care of real priorities and forget this pipe dream stuff...The State is broke so WAKE UP.
Friday, September 11, 2015 Report this