Worcester City Council takes up PawSox stadium plan
By John Krinjak
Email: jkrinjak@abc6.com
Twitter: @johnkrinjakABC6
WORCESTER, Mass. (WLNE) — The Worcester City Council got right to work Tuesday night, taking up the plan to build a ballpark for the PawSox, who plan to head north.
"This is a game changer for the city of Worcester, no doubt about it," said Mayor Joseph Petty.
The Worcester plan is, by all accounts, a sweeter deal for the team than the Rhode Island proposal. Worcester plans to borrow more than $100 million for the project, most of which would go to build the $90 million stadium–which is $7 million more than the planned ballpark in Pawtucket. The team would kick in just $6 million for construction–as opposed to $45 million in Pawtucket.
Public comment at Tuesday night’s meeting were largely supportive, though some raised concerns about the cost. The plan still has to be passed out of committee before the full council can vote on it, so it’s not a done deal yet–leaving some to wonder if Pawtucket still has a chance.
"I know that the folks in Rhode Island have some hope, but I would say to that is this–we have a city manager that’s second to none. The city council provided him with the authority to do whatever he can do to close this deal, and that’s exactly what he did," said Councilman Khrystian King.
PawSox president Charles Steinberg was also at Tuesday night’s meeting. He said while the team is leaving Pawtucket, they’ll continue to do outreach there, and he hopes to see Pawtucket fans in the stands here.
"We are one region, and we know right now that in Pawtucket there is a profound lament. We’re going to continue to love Pawtucket," said Steinberg.
There will be a series of public hearings in Worcester to get feedback from residents on the ballpark plan before it can be approved.
Back here in Rhode Island, Pawtucket mayor Don Grebien and Gov. Raimondo will hold a news conference Wednesday to discuss the fallout from the PawSox decision to move to Worcester.
© WLNE-TV / ABC6 2018
