It looks like the PawSox will become the Worcester Red Sox in 2021.
Today (Aug. 17) Mayor Joe Petty formally announced that City Manager Ed Agustus and PawSox Chairman Larry Lucchino have signed a letter of intent to build a baseball park for the Worcester Red Sox.
The plan calls for a more than $200 million redevelopment of the Wyman Gordon property off Kelley Square in a public-private partnership between the state, the Red Sox and the city of Worcester.
“Beyond a ballpark, this redevelopment will feature two new hotels and hundreds of units of housing. But for us locals, perhaps most importantly, this plan includes a complete redesign of Kelley Square,” Petty said.
Denis Dowdle, the president of Madison Properties who developed the Worcester Crossing Plaza and the project in Boston’s Seaport district, will head the project.
Petty went on to say that the 10,000-seat ballpark also will serve the community.
“It will play host to not just baseball games but will provide a home for outdoor concerts, other sporting events, community meetings and maybe even acting as a polling location,” he said.
Petty added that every Worcester Public Schools student will receive a free ticket to a game every year.
The announcement was made in the Levi Lincoln Chamber at Worcester. Petty said that the project is the culmination of a three-year effort, which began when he reached out Lucchino about bringing the baseball team to the city. He also acknowledged the efforts of Gene Zabinski, president of Worcester’s Canal District, who launched a campaign last year to bring the PawSox to Worcester. The campaign resulted in the sending of 10,000 postcards signed by people in Worcester and surrounding towns to the PawSox.
Petty said the announcement is the start of a month-long process that will include the approval of the Worcester City Council, the Commissioner of Baseball, the International League and Minor League Baseball.