Bill Haberman, WPRO News
(Providence) Pawsox Chairman Larry Lucchino says he’s hopeful the team and the state can reach a deal to build a new ballpark in downtown Providence by the time the General Assembly adjourns at the end of next month.
Speaking to WPRO news Monday, Lucchino said the team has heard the message that the first stadium deal was unacceptable.
“There needs to be a re-negotiation of what was out there,” said Lucchino.
Lucchino refused to say whether the team would move out of Rhode Island if a deal wasn’t reached, explaining that he didn’t want to discuss what a “Plan B” might be if the deal fell through.
Lucchino said he would meet with Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien, who continues to hold out hope the Pawsox might stay at McCoy Stadium. He was noncommittal whether that city could offer anything that could keep the team in Pawtucket.
The Red Sox executive said he is concerned the positive benefits of the stadium proposed on
the old 195 land are being lost in the debate over the terms of a potential deal.
“We’re losing sight of the whole array of public benefits that flow from a ballpark like this, in this location, said Lucchino.
The effort to build the ballpark along the banks of the Providence River was sidetracked by the sudden death of team president Jim Skeffington earlier this month. He had been the public face of efforts to move the team from Pawtucket to Providence. Negotiations between the team and state broke down over the taxpayer contribution to the planned stadium.
