PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - The chairman of the Pawtucket Red Sox is looking for support from the state to build a new stadium and met Tuesday with the new president of the Rhode Island Senate to discuss it.
Democratic Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said he talked with PawSox Chairman Larry Lucchino at the State House about their shared goals of keeping the team in Rhode Island.
The Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox is looking to stay in Pawtucket, where it plays at the aging McCoy Stadium, but “might need some help,” Ruggerio said.
A study released in January suggested it wouldn’t be worthwhile for Rhode Island to invest in renovating the 75-year-old stadium or building a new one at the site. But top state leaders, including Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo, have remained open to investing.
Ruggerio declined to talk specifics about what Lucchino wants, noting that the state Commerce Corp. has been in talks with the team.
“They’re looking to get some kind of resolution,” he said of the team. “I am hoping that they stay in Rhode Island. That has always been my objective. And I’m hoping that they stay in Pawtucket because I think it’s a great location.”
The current stadium is just over a mile from the border with Massachusetts, where many fans live, he said.
Ruggerio, of North Providence, took over the Senate presidency last week, replacing Newport Democratic Sen. Teresa Paiva Weed, who is stepping down. Ruggerio works as an administrator for a construction labor group and is known to be an advocate for economic development projects.
The team’s owners previously sought to build a stadium in Providence. A proposal seeking about $120 million from taxpayers was met by strenuous public opposition.
Ruggerio said the Senate “has always been able to move in warp speed” if needed, though if a resolution couldn’t be reached before the General Assembly adjourns in June, lawmakers could return later for a special legislative session.
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