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I think that the PawSox owners should bare the great majority of the cost for a new stadium. I would like to see them as the owner as well but am ok with giving them an exemption from property taxes. They are the entity that wants to move out of McCoy. McCoy Stadium may not be a long term viable option but it is certainly acceptable in the near term.
As for the location, the Apex site is the best. With the curve in Route 95 there, it will be very visible. The highway access is great. The site in the downtown is also good as other revenue producing opportunities with things such as nearby restaurants are doable and could be year long profitable. The proximity to the river could be a great feature. The Pawtucket Falls are right at the northern edge under the Main Street Bridge. The Route 95 art deco bridge with an LED lighting scheme below the road bed is at the southern end. I could envision a stadium with an outdoor concourse area going right to a railing/fence that runs along the river and gives exposure to these views. The lighted arched route 95 bridge would be a great signature feature for the park. I myself am not really in favor of a mini Fenway. In my view there is only one Fenway. I would much prefer a brick stadium which pays homage to Pawtucket's long industrial mill history. The building should have arches and perhaps three stairwell bell towers (1st/3rd/home) . The Apex site was actually once a series of mill buildings prior to the Apex Store (1969) with the Goff Mill the most prominent structure.
Location: Earth, a nice neighborhood in the Milky Way
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mp775
I didn't realize this before - The Portland Sea Dogs already play in a replica Fenway, and the Red Sox spring training park is a replica Fenway. Way to save on the architectural costs!
Then you definitely weren't aware that the single A Red Sox affiliate, the Greenville Drive (South Carolina!) also play in a Fenway replica, Fluor Field.
Then you definitely weren't aware that the single A Red Sox affiliate, the Greenville Drive (South Carolina!) also play in a Fenway replica, Fluor Field.
^This source says the total cost as proposed is $83 Million- $45 Million from the PawSox, $23 Million from the state, and $15 Million from the city. So if the Gov is openly willing to spend $35m, and the park as proposed by the PawSox includes $23m from the state, then the Gov needs to work on her "haggling" skills. Usually you say you're only willing to spend X amount less than what the other party is proposing.
I'm surprised by the silence surrounding these latest bits of news. What does everyone think? As an outsider, I think it's a mostly decent proposal. But I'd be interested to hear a local perspective.
Things I like:
1) The location- easy downtown access, easy highway access.
2) The dimensions of the field
3) Public Ownership of the facility/ flexibility for other uses
4) Significantly less investment on the part of the city/state compared to the initial proposal (though I laughed at the fact that the combined investment from Pawtucket and RI is $38 Million Dollars. 38 is a number I'd want to avoid at all costs when talking about government investment in a baseball related RI project).
Things I don't like:
1) The surface parking lot. I know garages jack up the price of the project, but if you want to sell this as a "park within a park," you really can't take up riverfront real estate with a sea of concrete. Include a garage and build a truly accessible 24/7/365 park along the waterfront.
2) The "Monster" (blank left field wall) right along Main Street. If you want to sell us on the impact on the neighborhood, don't slap a giant, towering blank wall right along the Main Street. Activate it somehow- maybe even a Pawtucket version of Bleacher Bar. But a giant blank wall all but ensures that aside from people walking to/from games, that side of the street is dead (which doesn't help potential businesses across the street
3) The development pitch. They're really selling the "this will spark development..." side of the project. They even include three nice, new buildings across the street in the renderings. The reality is that that's not such an easy sell for developers. I think it's pretty misleading to include the new buildings in the renderings when what's much more likely is that those lots across the street will remain as-is for the foreseeable future.
I'm surprised by the silence surrounding these latest bits of news. What does everyone think? As an outsider, I think it's a mostly decent proposal. But I'd be interested to hear a local perspective.
From another outsider's perspective, I don't see a dang thing wrong with the current stadium or its location. I know Lucchino feels otherwise, but I don't care about his bottom line.
There are a few Pawtucket boosters on this forum who may say that this will do more good for Downtown with little loss to the neighborhood surrounding McCoy, but I don't really see that happening. Not from a minor-league stadium. There would have to be some draw there in the first place. The China Inn may do a little more business on game days, but that's about it.
Last edited by massnative71; 05-19-2017 at 03:52 PM..
I'm probably the biggest, and maybe only, Pawtucket booster here, and I agree 100%. It seems Gina is capping the State's contribution at the alleged cost of renovating McCoy. I'd like to see the State offer $35 million to improve the current stadium or $0 for a new stadium. I already shared my opinions on the new stadium and the Apex site earlier in the thread.
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