Renegotiate $83M PawSox Stadium Deal: House Speaker

PROVIDENCE, RI — Democratic House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello wants Rhode Island's economic development agency and the Pawtucket Red Sox to renegotiate a deal for a new stadium that will lower the risk to taxpayers and could require the team or its owners to shoulder more of the cost.

Mattiello, of Cranston, knocked on doors in his district and the vast majority of people told him "no public money" for the project, he told The Providence Journal in a podcast posted Friday. The cost of the $83 million deal lawmakers are considering shares the costs among the state, Pawtucket and the team, the Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox.

"What I'm hearing right now is, the public is not necessarily buying in to the proposition of putting public money, or a large amount of public money, into this project. So I think it's incumbent upon the governor and the Commerce Corp. to listen to what I'm saying," he said, adding, "I think the governor and the PawSox and the Commerce Corp. should roll up their sleeves, renegotiate this thing."

Under the proposal, the team would contribute $12 million to the project up front and $33 million financed by a taxable lease revenue bond issued by the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency. The city would contribute $15 million, and the state would pay $23 million, also financed with bonds from the Pawtucket Redevelopment Agency.

Asked for specific concerns about the deal, Mattiello said the public wants it renegotiated. He added that if Pawtucket has a problem paying back the bonds, it's going to be a state problem in the future.

"We're backstopping this stuff. If it's such a great deal, perhaps a lot of the backstop should come from the PawSox and the owners of the PawSox and take the risk away from the taxpayers," Mattiello said. "So, there are things we can do to tweak this deal. And perhaps maybe a little more money has to go in from the owners. I'm not going to negotiate it."

He added that he wants to be comfortable that there is no additional risk to the taxpayers.

"Right now, I'm just not convinced we're there," he said.

The PawSox say their longtime home, McCoy Stadium, is out of date. PawSox Chairman Larry Lucchino has said the team's owners "have learned our lessons" after their 2015 request for about $120 million from taxpayers for a new stadium in Providence met strenuous public opposition. He has asked people to keep an open mind this time, calling it a "very different proposal" that will pay for itself over time. He has said the stadium project would "revitalize an underperforming part of downtown" Pawtucket by spurring nearby development of stores, restaurants and homes.

Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo has said if the team wants the state to help build the stadium it's going to have to disclose more of its financial information.

Photo credit: Steven Senne, Associated Press