Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | September 3, 2018 | wbjournal.com Rea said. Augustus and Rea couldn't pinpoint one specific meeting where they feel the tide really turned, but Murray cited one late spring meeting at Worcester law firm Bowditch and Dewey where corporate sponsorship was discussed. "In Rhode Island, they've got some of the best corporate sponsorship in all of Triple-A baseball," Murray said. Team ownership was concerned that Worcester couldn't match that kind of big business support. In 10 days, Murray and Augustus were able to draw up a list of potential corporate sponsors in Central Massa- chusetts to surpass what Rhode Island could offer. "I dare say his jaw dropped," Murray said of Lucchino. Certainty, support & money e ultimate deciding factor, Rea said, was the certainty associated with Worcester's proposal, which he said gave the team the best shot for a 2021 opening day. Boston developer Madison Down- town Holdings had control of the site and was already signed onto the ballpark project, which calls for a $240-million investment with hotels, apartments and mixed-use retail. e public support in Worcester and Massachusetts was many times more than there was in Pawtucket and Rhode Island, he said. Worcester represented an opportunity for the team to reach a broader market Northern New England, Rea said, but still retain those core fans in Rhode Island. Certainly not overlooked is the extravagant financial package offered to Lucchino and company with the team contributing $6 million in upfront mon- ey and $30 million in rent payments vs. the $12 million upfront and $33 million in rent payments in Rhode Island. Still, from July 2 when Rhode Island Gov. Gina Raimondo signed legislation authorizing a $83-million ballpark at an abandoned department store in Pawtucket, until the hours before the Aug. 17 announcement in Worcester, the team and Pawtucket worked earnestly to find common ground to stay in the city it has called home since 1970. e rumor mill was in full force out of Rhode Island. Augustus and his team would sometimes fear Pawtucket would pull it off and secure their future with the the PawSox. "It was a rollercoaster," Augustus said. Still, "I knew we were in a better spot than Rhode Island." Pawtucket didn't have control of the Apex Cos. site or a developer lined up. Worcester had both. $38M vs. $101M e package Worcester offered to the team was never anything Rhode Island or Pawtucket would come close to, said Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien. e offer to keep the team in Paw- tucket, however, was unprecedented for Rhode Island, Grebien said. e $38 million of combined city and state funds would cover a significant chunk of the $83-million ballpark. e team would foot the remaining $45 million. e team met with Grebien along with state and city officials weekly since July 2, but not much changed in the deal. Grebien said the city was willing to help offset some electricity costs, but that was about it. In Worcester, the city was willing to borrow $101 million to pay for the stadium development, including $30 million which the team would pay back through annual lease payments. "We were never going to extend ourselves just to keep the ballpark here," Grebien said. e ballpark and top minor league affiliate of one of the most storied franchises in American sports his- tory was important to the fabric of Pawtucket and the future economic development of the city, but more important for Grebien was protecting the city and state's taxpayers. "Worcester was willing to expose themselves to a much higher degree than we ever could or would here," Boston Red Sox Boston League: MLB Average attendance: 35,722 Distance from Canal District: 44 minutes Lowell Spinners Lowell League: Class A Short Affiliation: Boston Red Sox Average attendance: 3,678 Distance from Canal District: 44 minutes Connecticut Tigers Norwich, Conn. League: Class A Short Affiliation: Detroit Tigers Average attendance: 2,664 Distance from Canal District: 55 minutes Hartford Yard Goats Hartford, Conn. League: Double-A Affiliation: Colorado Rockies Average attendance: 6,104 Distance from Canal District: 56 minutes New Hampshire Fisher Cats Manchester, N.H. League: Double-A Affiliation: Toronto Blue Jays Average attendance: 4,258 Distance from Canal District: 1 hour, 7 minutes Portland Sea Dogs Portland, Maine League: Double-A Affiliation: Boston Red Sox Average attendance: 5,683 Distance from Canal District: 2 hours, 4 minutes Vermont Lake Monsters Burlington, Vt. League: Class A Short Affiliation: Oakland A's Average attendance: 2,170 Distance from Canal District: 3 hours, 35 minutes M A I N E V E R M O N T N E W H A M P S H I R E M A S S . C O N N . R.I. WooSox competition The Pawtucket Red Sox moved to Worcester, in part, because the team envisions being able to reach a larger regional market from Central Massachusetts. In Pawtucket, the team is averaging 5,687 in per-game attendance in 2018. Here are the other New England major-league affiliated baseball teams. Sources: MiLB.com, Baseball-Reference.com, MLB.com The Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox have called McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket home since 1970. Continued from previous page W W

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