PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - State officials had a “high-level” meeting with the owners of the Pawtucket Red Sox to discuss the team’s proposal for a new ballpark in downtown Providence.
Gov. Gina Raimondo, Commerce Secretary Stefan Pryor and I-195 Redevelopment District Commission Chairman Joe Azrack met Thursday with the owners of the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox to discuss the “importance of reaching a fair deal” for Rhode Islanders if a ballpark is built, according to a spokeswoman for the Governor.
Raimondo reiterated during the meeting that her priority is “looking out for the taxpayers and setting the state on a path of economic growth,” according to her spokeswoman. Raimondo also said she’s committed to working with the owners, the General Assembly and the city of Providence to determine if there is a framework that is “more beneficial to the state.”
The PawSox owners are seeking about $120 million in taxes over 30 years for the state to lease the ballpark, which they want to build on former highway land now owned by the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, a state agency. They originally proposed leasing the land but announced last week they’d consider buying it.
Principal owner James Skeffington and co-owner Larry Lucchino, president of the Boston Red Sox, along with State House lobbyist Robert Goldberg also met last week with House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, who has expressed his desire to keep the PawSox in Rhode Island.
The “productive” meeting with Lucchino, Skeffington and Goldberg was “designed to gather information, discuss priorities and set a timetable for future negotiations,” Mattiello said in a statement.
Patti Doyle, a spokeswoman for the PawSox, called the meetings with Raimondo and Mattiello constructive.
Follow-up discussions are expected in the coming weeks, according to Raimondo’s office.
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