Worcester Business Journal

14 Worcester Business Journal | June 21, 2021 | wbjournal.com A R C H I T E C T U R E & C O N S T R U C T I O N FOCUS PHOTOS/MATT WRIGHT (Top and above) The $160-million Polar Park baseball stadium in Worcester on June 4, which was the first Friday night game where the team was no longer restricted by state-mandated capacity limits, due to the coronavirus pandemic. INCOMPLETE Construction on the $160M Polar Park isn't expected to be finished for months, limiting revenue in the WooSox's inaugural season W hen the Worcester Red Sox started their inaugural season in the city on May 11, the team had to limit capacity at its new stadium to 2,377 fans, due to state-mandated coronavirus pandemic restrictions. Even though those restrictions were lied three weeks later, the WooSox still expect to have to limit ticket sales for the bulk of their first season, as the delayed construction of the $160-million Polar Park baseball stadium, which was originally planned for completion in April with a 9,508 capacity, isn't expected to be finished until near the season's end. "For the exact date of when we will be able to sell 9,508 tickets, we don't yet know," WooSox President Charles Steinberg said. For the team's first game without coronavirus capacity restrictions on June 1, Polar Park was limited to 6,300 seats, which is 66% of the planned full capacity. BY BRAD KANE Worcester Business Journal Editor Polar Park's capacity will fluctuate with every game – on June 2, the team had nearly 7,000 fans in attendance – as different parts of the stadium are under construction, Steinberg said, and the stadium will gradually add capacity, too, as various elements of the ballpark are complete. "I am hopeful we will be at full capacity this year," Steinberg said. Delayed construction e construction of the publicly funded baseball stadium was first announced in August 2018 when the team announced its move from Pawtucket, R.I. for the 2021 season. e initial timetable to open the stadium in time for Opening Day in April 2021 was aggressive for a project of its size, considering the design plans were still in the initial stages at the time of the announcement and the properties for the stadium had yet to be acquired. e stadium project – led by Providence-based Gilbane Building Co. and Los Angeles-based AECOM Hunt – encountered two major delays: e slope of the property meant the ballpark had to be built into the side of a hill, which forced changes in the design and the construction. en the project was shut down for seven weeks in spring 2021 in the face of the spreading coronavirus pandemic. ese delays and other factors like rising construction costs caused the price of the project to jump from $101 million to $160 million, making Polar Park the most expensive minor league stadium ever built. Steinberg said the limited capacity caused by the delays is forcing the WooSox to sell fewer tickets than they would have expected. "It has had an impact," Steinberg said. "ere is a scarcity and a high demand for fewer seats." e WooSox have capped full season tickets at 2,200 per game, and the team announced on June 15 its waiting list has more than 400 fans. "e good news is the fans have been outstanding. We have been playing to a full house, with lots of engagement and lots of kids and lots of diversity," Steinberg said. "e sound of a ballpark

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