PawSox Officials Say New Stadium Deal Officially Dead
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (CBS/AP) — Officials with the Pawtucket Red Sox say the baseball club will end its pursuit for a proposed stadium on waterfront land in downtown Providence.
PawSox Chairman Larry Lucchino said in a statement Saturday that the group tried hard to make the deal work, but Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo determined the land was not suitable for a new ballpark.
A spokesman for House speaker Nicholas Mattiello said Friday that negotiations between the state and the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox had stopped.
"It is disappointing that negotiations have ended at the I-195 property. I thought that would have been a very successful location," Mattiello said in statement released Saturday night. "A stadium there would have brought the community together and would have acted as a catalyst for further economic development in Providence.
"Unfortunately, different entities put artificially high costs on a deal, which proved to be insurmountable."
The speaker also said "The direction the Pawtucket Red Sox take now is entirely up to them. I continue to believe that the PawSox are a valuable asset to Rhode Island and I will consider other viable options that the team may bring forward."
The proposal has faced strenuous public opposition from the start. Stadium naysayers were opposed to using the land that's slated to become a public park. They were also opposed to using public money for the ballpark.
The team says it will now "devote its energy to preparing for the 2016 season in Pawtucket at McCoy Stadium, but will continue to listen to ideas and plans regarding the long-term future of the franchise."
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