PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — With the Pawtucket Red Sox set to move to Worcester after the 2020 season, six proposals have been submitted for the reuse of McCoy Stadium and the surrounding area.
The Rhode Island Commerce Corporation and city of Pawtucket jointly announced they received the proposals which include two for soccer stadiums, two for baseball uses and two music and family entertainment venues.
“We are very pleased with the number and apparent quality of the proposals we’ve received,” Rhode Island Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor said Friday. “We look forward to working with Mayor Grebien and his team to review these proposals, narrow them down, and pursue next steps.”
“The number of responses continue to show that Pawtucket is a desirable location for development and that there is a clear interest for investors to come to the city,” Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said. “We look forward to working with Commerce to review and evaluate the six proposals.”
Pryor said a joint committee will be established to review each proposal. He says he hopes to get the final proposal narrowed down by the end of this year.
If legislation is required for public financing, for example, Pryor said they will try to get that done this legislative session.
Here is a list of each proposal:
- AJAX Advisors, LLC is proposing to bring professional sports to Pawtucket with independent professional soccer in a new stadium in Downtown Pawtucket and the conversion of McCoy into a light industrial use.
- Brett Johnson, Fortuitous Partners is proposing to bring a professional sports team – a United Soccer League franchise – to downtown Pawtucket and envisions construction of a multi-sport stadium and ancillary and sport related development. The proposal includes a renewed use for the existing McCoy baseball stadium site. A new recreational park is proposed with six new multipurpose fields that can be used for soccer, lacrosse, or football.
- Frank Boulton is proposing to bring Atlantic League professional baseball to McCoy Stadium.
- Level Exchange is proposing the creation of a hub centered around the music industry in Pawtucket, seeing this as an opportunity to foster the growth of the multifaceted creative community. In addition to infrastructure to support the entertainment industry, this approach would include all other aspects needed to sustain such a live-work-play area.
- Minor League Baseball for Pawtucket: Minor League Baseball for Pawtucket, a group of local Rhode Island business leaders and community members, want to explore with the City of Pawtucket and the State of Rhode Island the possibility of continuing the rich tradition of affiliated, Minor League Baseball in Pawtucket. Preserving community involvement and providing, affordable, family entertainment in the State of Rhode Island are the groups’ priorities.
- Native Waters Investment, LLC: is proposing to construct a Family Entertainment Center and Riverfront Park in Pawtucket. The Family Entertainment Center and Riverfront Park will be located on approximately twenty-five acres of land in the I-95 corridor. Some features of the Entertainment Center could include an indoor mega coaster, children’s play park, rock climbing wall, overhead zip-line course, bowling alleys, a 7D theater, a variety of restaurants and retail outlets and a riverboat hotel.