Guest MINDSETTER™ Don Grebien: McCoy Stadium, Where History Still Lives
Sunday, July 12, 2015
In 1998, the state partnered with the late, great Ben Mondor to provide funding in the amount of $20 million for improvements to the McCoy Stadium. These improvements increased the seating capacity to AAA requirements and helped make McCoy the best stadium in Minor League Baseball. In keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the ball park was made accessible to the disabled and seniors. The (free) parking lot was also redone. That is what a public/private partnership is supposed to be. The improvements were about the public good and increasing access to the fans which added value for both the fans and for Ben Mondor as the owner.
The substantial investment made by the taxpayers of Rhode Island in McCoy Stadium, to benefit all of our great state’s baseball-loving fans, should not be merely thrown away. Naturally, as Mayor of Pawtucket, it is my role to represent Pawtucket in all things. It was certainly no different when the new ownership group announced plans to move the team, however, as time has gone by and I have heard from so many Pawtucket Red Sox fans from around Rhode Island and beyond, I have now come to see my role as not only representing Pawtucket, but also the taxpayers of Rhode Island and Pawtucket Red Sox fans everywhere.
McCoy is their stadium after all. They invested in McCoy. They invested more than just their tax dollars, too. They invested in the PawSox and broader Red Sox Nation brands. They invested their time, their passion for the game, and they made memories and history at McCoy that can’t be recreated in Providence or anywhere else for that matter. That, I believe, is the heart of why the public reaction has been what it has been to this point. The public’s personal and emotional ties to the Pawtucket Red Sox and McCoy stadium are tangible and real, and part of their very identity as fans and Rhode Islanders, and rightfully so since they’ve invested so much.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTI have asked the new ownership group for the feasibility study of McCoy they have said they commissioned. This study should provide everyone with an understanding as to the level of investment necessary to further improve the physical conditions at McCoy. The current lease extension, signed just over a year ago, calls for such a study paid for by the team and state, but if the new ownership group has already had one done, we may be able to save taxpayer money if they provide us with that study.
The future of McCoy must be a critical part of every public discussion regarding the future location of the team. McCoy’s best days may very well be in front of us. We won’t know until we fully examine the feasibility study. As I stated before when I asked our state leaders to slow the process down, they need to have all the facts in front of them in order to make the best decision on behalf of Rhode Island taxpayers. This matter is too important to Rhode Island and Pawtucket to move forward in any other manner.
I continue to hear from members of the development community about the challenges the new ownership group faces at the proposed Providence location. I also know that the land was freed up with the stated goal of attracting large-scale employers from out of state, and there will be political challenges for the state to make such a dramatic course change. With all this in mind, and the shared belief with so many fans that Pawtucket is and should always be the home of the Pawtucket Red Sox, just as Fenway Park is the iconic home of Red Sox Nation, we continue to urge the new ownership group to reconsider their stated plans and choose to remain one of our greatest partners here in Pawtucket.
It's an exciting time in Pawtucket. We are revitalizing and developing our beautiful riverfront and are capitalizing on our recent National Park designation. We have lured and attracted new businesses by creating a business-friendly environment and companies and developers have taken notice. We are investing in our schools and our infrastructure and are repaving our city streets. There is sweeping positive change occurring here in the City of Pawtucket. Just in the last week, we unveiled a transformative mixed-use development on our riverfront, just three tenths of a mile from McCoy Stadium, that will include more the 200 residential units, as well as commercial and retail space, all with stunning river views and a river walk connecting the development to the newly renovated State Pier. We remain hopeful that the new owners will see the value that Pawtucket has given their brand and that the growth we are experiencing will only strengthen it. We hope they will Join the Evolution here in Pawtucket.
Don Grebien is the Mayor of Pawtucket.
Related Slideshow: The Ten Biggest Questions Facing the PawSox Coming to Providence
If the new ownership of the Pawtucket Red Sox want to build a new stadium in Providence, a number of questions need to be answered. The potential for a major contruction project in the state's capitial city touches upon a number of issues, from money, to politics, to jobs, and development.
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