Making a stand on the stadium plan

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The debate over the proposed construction of a new ballpark in Providence, we recently posited, comes down to a central question – how much Rhode Island values having the Pawtucket Red Sox call the state home.

Based on recent developments, the answer to that query has become a bit clearer.

On Monday, as the key figures in the Triple-A team’s new ownership group appeared before the I-195 Commission, Gov. Gina Raimondo issued a statement leaving little doubt that the initial $85 million stadium proposal, which sought $120 million in state funding over 30 years through a lease-sublease arrangement, will not suffice.

“I would love it if the PawSox stayed in Rhode Island, and the idea of a multi-use stadium in downtown Providence is exciting. But it’s my job to look out for Rhode Island taxpayers, and I take that job very seriously,” the statement reads. “From what I understand of the owners’ initial proposal, it appears that Rhode Island taxpayers would pay most, if not all, of the cost of building the new stadium, yet the owners would stand to receive all of the profits. That isn’t fair for Rhode Islanders.”

Both sides stressed they intend to continue talks, and the PawSox ownership has, at least in its public comments, expressed a willingness to be flexible in some aspects. The team has already indicated it now wants to buy, rather than lease for $1 annually, the state land that would house the new ballpark. A spokesman for the ownership group on Tuesday quickly shot down the idea of eying another piece of land, the former home of Victory Polishing and Plating Co., just a short distance from the proposed site.

The I-195 Commission, however, appeared skeptical of the plan, questioning several of the selling points and asking whether another use for the property would be more beneficial. The team’s owners continue to press for a resolution before the adjournment of the General Assembly in June. Otherwise, they say they will pursue “Plan B” – a course that would likely see the squad move to Massachusetts.

We applaud the governor for expeditiously and decisively responding to the stadium proposal and sending a clear message to the PawSox ownership. For them, while sentimentality and civic-mindedness may play some role, the Providence stadium plan is ultimately about making money. For Rhode Island, the priority must be getting the most out of limited resources.

Everyone, it seems, would like to keep the PawSox in the Ocean State. We previously asked what doing so would be worth to Rhode Islanders. Now, the question seems instead to be: What it is worth to the team’s owners?

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