By Kim Kalunian, WPRO News
The Providence City Council plans to put together a working group to look into the feasibility and financial impacts of bringing the Pawtucket Red Sox to Providence.
“We’re hoping to understand as much about the deal as possible,” Council President Luis Aponte told WPRO News on Monday.
He said he wants to form the group “to understand the economics of the deal, as well as the development opportunities that it may present.”
Aponte said they’re not looking at a large group of people, but a small assembly of state and city leaders, as well as folks from the private sector and small business community.
“Our hope is that there is enough interest in many sectors in the city to ensure that we have a diverse and well-informed group of people who will serve,” Aponte said.
The group has yet to be put together, but Aponte said he is looking to assemble the group in the next ten days to two weeks. He said he wants to be ready when the new owners of the PawSox come to the City Council with an official proposal.
Aponte met with James Skeffington, the new PawSox president, about a week ago, and said he imagines the new ownership team is looking for some sort of financial incentive from the city.
“We just want to be ready,” Aponte said. “Whatever those incentives may look like, we are prepared and informed to make some prudent decisions regarding the proposal.”
The City Council is also meeting with the 195 Commission Tuesday night to discuss the plans for the land. Aponte said the meeting was scheduled before the PawSox announced they were looking at the land, and is intended to help the council better understand the development process.
Last week, the new ownership team announced they had purchased the team, and were looking at a waterfront parcel of the 195 land.
