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Post by Wormtown Railers Fan on Jul 4, 2017 9:48:05 GMT -5
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jul 4, 2017 14:21:17 GMT -5
$83,000,000 estimate to build a new minor league ballpark in Pawtucket: insanity
Louisville Slugger Field, with capacity of 13,000, was built for $28,000,000 in 2000. It is a great ballpark with excellent sightlines and all the amenities anyone could want.
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Post by HC92 on Jul 4, 2017 15:41:24 GMT -5
We could just expand Fitton and have them play there.
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Post by Wormtown Railers Fan on Jul 4, 2017 15:57:47 GMT -5
We could just expand Fitton and have them play there. Nice idea, but I think they want a "downtown" ballpark.
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Post by ncaam on Jul 4, 2017 16:02:26 GMT -5
Where exactly in downtown Worcester? Like Oakland, Calif there is no there, there.
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Post by Wormtown Railers Fan on Jul 4, 2017 16:13:38 GMT -5
Where exactly in downtown Worcester? Like Oakland, Calif there is no there, there. The abandoned Wyman Gordon lot at Kelley Square. Close proximity to the bars and restaurants on Winter, Green and Harding Streets.
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Post by lou on Jul 4, 2017 16:14:59 GMT -5
They could do a lot of enhancing of the existing "1 mile away" from downtown park with their own $43 million. I think the taxpayers should go for that option
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Post by deep Purple on Jul 4, 2017 19:11:49 GMT -5
Are they going to be asking $15 mil from Worcester and another $23 mil from the state? Good luck with that. How much would it cost to cleanup the Wyman Gordon brownfield? That's gotta be another few million at least. I wonder if they would look at east side (Columbo) park on Shrewsbury street?
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Post by ncaam on Jul 4, 2017 21:34:51 GMT -5
Where would hc park the cars, the football field?
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Post by Tom on Jul 5, 2017 7:59:25 GMT -5
We could just expand Fitton and have them play there. I'm not sure the school would want them. The original "tenant" Tornadoes played in the Can-Am league. The Can-Am league runs from mid-May (after finals) and ends around Labor Day weekend. Not too much interference with the school. The PawSox season starts in early April. Way more interference. Also, HC got something out of the Tornado deal, namely a very nice upgrade to the baseball stadium. I don't see the PawSox giving much. I would assume that somewhere out there, there's a lease that gives the owner about 18 years of free use of the baseball field as a result of the liquidation of the Tornadoes assets. I haven't seen it, but were dates written into it that coincided with the Tornadoes schedule, or could the PawSox buy that and use it in April. I was told at the time that the Tornadoes did not want parking on the field and the school told them that the team had no say in the matter and the school would continue to use the outfield for football parking
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Post by hchoops on Jul 5, 2017 8:38:07 GMT -5
Would there be enough dates n April-May to satisfy both teams ? Weekends could be alternated
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Post by ncaam on Jul 5, 2017 8:41:30 GMT -5
Where they gonna park 15000 fannies?
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Post by hchoops on Jul 5, 2017 8:53:46 GMT -5
We used to park that and more for football
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Jul 5, 2017 8:58:20 GMT -5
$83,000,000 estimate to build a new minor league ballpark in Pawtucket: insanity Gotta account for all the no-show & no-work jobs for the crooked Providence local unions.
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Post by ncaam on Jul 5, 2017 9:34:26 GMT -5
We used to park that and more for football Will we open the football field and freshman field for woosox fans? How about all over campus? I believe this is all a scheme to wring more concessions out of Pawtucket . Imho
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Post by A Clock Tower Purple on Jul 5, 2017 9:51:37 GMT -5
Exactly.
Paw Sox aren't leaving RI, just using clueless Worc pols as a pawn to get what they want.
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Post by Tom on Jul 5, 2017 10:10:44 GMT -5
Exactly. Paw Sox aren't leaving RI, just using clueless Worc pols as a pawn to get what they want. Worcester might be slightly bigger than Providence, but Greater Providence (with places like No Providence (a separate city), Cranston, Warwick, and Pawtucket) is much larger than Greater Worcester (with Shrewbury, Auburn, and Leicester)
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Post by HC92 on Jul 5, 2017 11:00:35 GMT -5
Where they gonna park 15000 fannies? PawSox averaged 6,076 last season so I don't see parking being a huge problem. That said, there is no way they are playing at HC anytime soon.
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Post by ncaam on Jul 5, 2017 11:25:15 GMT -5
You chose the poorest pawsox attendance year which was 2016. That's one of the reasons they want to change venues. Pawsox probably want to return to the 9500 of 2005. In any event parking would suck at HC for 6000 or 10000 even if accommodation was made for some on campus parking.
Fwiw, I look forward to the day when parking is not allowed on the baseball field.
But you are correct,ain't happening. Btw, 10000+ for 2017 opener.
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Post by timholycross on Jul 5, 2017 12:21:29 GMT -5
The schedule starts on April 5 and runs through September 3 or 4 (then if they make the playoffs maybe another week or so?) So about 6 or 7 weeks overlap with school at most.
I could see them playing at HC for a year and a year only (for a year, you could put up some temporary stands and some other things to make it more agreeable to both parties; but even with that Fitton is very much on the small side for a AAA park)
ncaam is right- don't see parking on the baseball field in the long term future...and, in fact, there isn't nearly as much of it now as there used to be.
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Post by Wormtown Railers Fan on Jul 5, 2017 19:34:43 GMT -5
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Post by hcgrad94 on Jul 5, 2017 20:32:04 GMT -5
Worcester politicians trying to pull this off is hysterically funny to think about. Think Michael Scott negotiating a raise. They don't even know what they don't know.
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Post by rf1 on Jul 12, 2017 8:23:10 GMT -5
I don't see this happening. The Pawsox are not moving unless someone opens up their checkbook big time. The proposal for a new 83M stadium adjacent to Route 95 alongside the Blackstone River in downtown Pawtucket calls for the State of RI to contribute 23M and the City of Pawtucket 15M. The Pawsox would add $45 million ($12 million upfront, the rest paybacks on money borrowed by the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency). The legislation did not make it to a vote during the last state general assembly session before the Pawsox-City of Pawtucket exclusive deal date expired. It is expected to come up in the next session (possibly in the Fall). A ballpark in Worcester at the Wyman Gordon site would likely exceed 83M given the site remediation work that would be required prior to construction. Worcester and the State of MA would probably have to exceed the 38M being offered in RI due to the extra venue cost. The Pawsox might even demand more for the risk and uncertainty it would assume with a move to a new much smaller market with a history of several previous failed minor league sports ventures. Furthermore, the Winter-Wyman site could never come close to providing the highway access that a ballpark in Pawtucket right next to Route 95 would offfer. Could you imagine having to access & depart a new Worcester park via the closest Rte 290 on/off ramp then navigating Kelley Square before and after games? Rendition of new Pawtucket Ballpark Blackstone River on the left and Rte 95 on the right in photo. Site is where Apex is currently located. Proposed ballpark site is center of photo where pyramid shaped Apex building is. Slater Mill Historic Site (1793) is at bottom right corner. Downtown Providence skyline is visible in top center. New PawSox Ballpark Bill Emerges in Rhode Island Senate By Kevin Reichard on June 27, 2017 in Minor-League Baseball, News ballparkdigest.com/2017/06/27/new-pawsox-ballpark-bill-emerges-in-rhode-island-senate/
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Post by rf1 on Jul 12, 2017 9:33:34 GMT -5
Worcester vs Pawtucket/Providence market population comparison (proposed Pawtucket Stadium is on Route 95 just 5 miles from downtown Providence)
Worcester Market (935,536) Worcester 180,519 Shrewsbury 35,269 Milbury 13,250 Auburn 16,183 Holden 17,197 Grafton 17,472 W Boylston 7,660 Paxton 4,767 Leicester 10,934 Northborough 14,180 Boylston 4,320 Westborough 18,285 Sutton 8,908 Leominster 40,884 Fitchburg 40,286
Pawtucket-Providence Market (1.61M) Pawtucket 71,148 Providence 178,042 Attleboro, MA 43,593 Seekonk, MA 14,371 N Attleborough, MA 28,712 East Providence 47,037 North Providence 32,480 Central Falls 19,328 Cumberland 32,506 Lincoln 21,105 Cranston 80,387 Woonsocket 41,186 Warwick 82,672 W Warwick 29,788
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Post by sader1970 on Jul 12, 2017 10:12:56 GMT -5
And "WooSox" just doesn't have the ring of "PawSox." Over the years, I have been to PawSox games perhaps a dozen times, mostly when I first moved to RI 18+ years ago and almost exclusively with groups (employer, HC Club of RI, CPCU Society). A nice venue, generally plenty of parking and I know I have low standards but see nothing wrong with the current stadium. Also lived and attended games at AAA ballparks in Syracuse and Columbus, the latter probably being the best of the 3 (naturally, a Yankee minor league team as Syracuse was until they migrated over to Toronto). Just not sure why these for-profit baseball teams need (?)/expect taxpayers to subsidize these stadiums. Despite the proximity, I am not going to get too worked up about where the XXXSox end up. Disclaimer: I ceased being a true baseball fan after the players' strike years ago. I do go and enjoy watching the Crusaders baseball team and don't mind watching a little league game but . . . . .
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