Worcester Business Journal

wbjournal.com | August 25, 2025 | Worcester Business Journal 11 e second inning Almost five years into the 35-year Polar Park proj- ect, the WooSox are still drawing crowds, but par- cels key to ballpark's funding are underutilized and being listed for sale Continued on next page BY ERIC CASEY WBJ Managing Editor S ince a tense November meeting between Worcester Redevel- opment Authority and key ballpark district stakeholder Madison Properties, not much has changed in terms of groundbreak- ings or sales at Madison-owned parcels near the Polar Park baseball stadium. But Denis Dowdle, president of Madi- son Properties, said communication has improved since the meeting, which saw WRA Chair Michael Angelini get into a back-and-forth with Madison's counsel over missed project deadlines, in wake of it pulling out from a key tax-break deal involving the Le Field Building site just beyond Polar Park's walls. "ere's been more frequent and consistent conversations with the City," Dowdle said. "e level of communica- tion has improved dramatically. ere's a lot more back-and-forth." Now, Dowdle said he is nearing an agreement to sell one of the parcels in his original five-development proposal, while the highest-profile property – the Le Field Building – has been listed for sale. e long-planned hotel might un- veil a new partnership for construction to begin in a few years, while Madison's one completed development, apartment complex e Revington, is filling up. e slower-than-expected devel- opment of the Madison properties is the main reason the City of Worcester expects to have another revenue short- fall of around $792,000 in the ballpark district this year. is will mark the sec- ond year in a row the City will need to use general taxpayer funds to cover the bonds payments on the publicly owned $160-million stadium and reverses the promise made in 2018 to only use reve- nues generated in the ballpark district to pay for Polar Park, even as City finance officials remain optimistic the stadium and its surrounding developments will become a net-positive for taxpayers funds over the 35-year life of the bonds. Meanwhile, Polar Park and the Worcester Red Sox are still attracting crowds that rank among the biggest in Minor League Baseball, albeit smaller than the ones they drew in 2022, as MiLB has gone through a league-wide dip in attendance. "I don't want to discount the im- portance of that financial aspect, but looking just at the [ballpark district] revenues and the [district] expenses is a myopic view of the benefits," said Peter Dunn, the City's chief development officer. "I think it's underdiscussed, the environmental benefits, and family ben- efits. I've been with the city for 12 years now, and I remember years of people saying there's nothing for families to do in terms of affordable entertainment." Madison properties, for sale Madison Properties' Le Field Build- ing site is listed on the market, subject to offer, with Worcester-real estate bro- kerage Kelleher & Sadowsky Associates. e site contains a building foundation and underground parking garage. Dowdle is open to selling the site, leasing it, or finishing the building for an eventual user. e building essential- ly sits within Polar Park, with WooSox fans oen milling in front of the partial- ly completed development while they enjoy baseball. e WooSox are patiently waiting for the development beyond le field, said team President Charles Steinberg. "We've watched the visions for a Le Field Building change the way a kaleido- PHOTOS | MATT WRIGHT WooSox per-game paid attendance The Worcester Red Sox have drawn fewer fans each year since opening but still rank among the highest in MiLB. International League WooSox average 2025 (through 8/14) 5,783* 5,302* 2024 6,395 6,157 2023 6,929 6,421 2022 7,095 6,380 *WooSox and minor league attendance generally improves in later in the season. Source: Baseball Reference / The Baseball Cube The Left Field Building site, sitting just beyond one of Polar Park's main entrances, has been undeveloped since the foundation was poured before the ballpark opened in 2021. The property is now up for sale.

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