Worcester Pawsox "deal is real", Pawtucket mayor says

On January 18, 2018, it was reported that Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien held a press conference to urge Rhode Island lawmakers to immediately approve state funding for a new stadium for the Triple-A Pawtucket Red Sox. Grebien warned that the team leaving the state would impact annual state revenues by more than $2 million. Since the Rhode Island government had failed to secure a stadium deal the previous summer, Worcester, Massachusetts, and other cities had been actively competing to attract the franchise.

PawSox officials had visited Worcester multiple times, including for a meeting at City Hall. Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker publicly supported a stadium project there, and Worcester was prepared to commit significant funding to build a ballpark in its Canal District, an area featuring a minor league hockey practice facility.

Rhode Island Governor Gina Raimondo told the Providence Journal that she would not enter a bidding war with Massachusetts over the team. Grebien expressed concern over Worcester’s ongoing pursuit, noting rumors that Worcester’s offer was superior to a proposed stadium at Slater Mill in Pawtucket. He also pointed to weak taxpayer protections in the Rhode Island proposals, such as a daily penalty of only $275 if 50,000 square feet of real estate development failed to materialize around the new ballpark. Meanwhile, several developers had expressed interest in developing the area around Pawtucket’s McCoy Stadium regardless of whether the team remained.