Legislative leaders say they won’t consider proposal for Pawtucket Red Sox stadium
PAWTUCKET — The proposal to build a brand-new $73 million public ballpark on the Apex parcel downtown was dealt a devastating blow on Tuesday afternoon when Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio said that there was not enough time in the current General Assembly session for a proper review of the stadium financing plan.
Ruggerio in a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon said the Rhode Island Senate had not received “any legislation from the Governor’s office or the Pawtucket Mayor’s office. At this point, it is too late in the session for a thorough, public review of a proposal of this magnitude.”
Ruggerio, though, left a door ajar for future consideration of stadium financing, saying that should legislation be forthcoming, “I am not opposed to reconvening in the fall to consider it in a deliberative and public manner.”
However, the fallout from his statement, which came late Tuesday afternoon, was immediate.
Larry Berman, Director of Communications for House Speaker Nicholas Mattiello, in a statement said that according to the House rules, it is “long past the bill introduction deadline and any new legislation needs the approval of the Speaker before it is drafted.” Berman said after 40 days, all bills require permission from the House Speaker before they can be submitted and Tuesday was the 52nd day of the legislative session.
“He does not anticipate granting permission to have a Pawtucket stadium bill drafted unless it is requested directly by the Governor,” Berman said. “Speaker Mattiello is not putting a deal before the House Finance Committee that was negotiated by the Governor, as the chairwoman of the Commerce Corporation, without her endorsement and her stamp of approval.”
Mattiello himself addressed the topic later in the day at the State House while speaking to reporters. For now,
Mattiello contended, the House won’t be taking up discussion of the stadium deal.
“It’s not the appropriate time to even consider it,” Mattiello said while also suggesting Gov. Gina Raimondo’s administration may be having some second thoughts on the offer already on the table.
“The Governor should proceed in whatever way she thinks is appropriate,” the Speaker said. “My only suggestion is that we don’t have a bill, there is nothing in front of us and there is no equivalent statement coming out of the governor’s office. Therefore if the persons who have done all the work on it are equivocating, it is absolutely the right thing to do not to go forward with the proposal,” Mattiello said. “And there is nothing in front of us to even to consider it, so we’re not doing anything in the House. I hear there is a lot of activity but I have not been a part of that,” Mattiello said. “If something gets brought to me, if something changes, we’ll always be willing to consider it,” he said.
Mattiello said it was up to those working on the proposal to make the next move.
“If there is anything of significance that the Governor asks us to take up I’m sure we would honor and respect that request. Right now there is just nothing before us so I don’t know, I’m not going to prejudge whether she will make a request. If she does, we will consider the request and move forward at that time,” he said.
Mattiello maintained that the stadium deal is “a big proposal,” and one that will require “big public, taxpayer investment.” That, he said, would “require that it start in the executive branch and certainly have the approval of the folks that negotiated it and I haven’t heard that yet,” he said. “I just suggested that it’s questionable that the folks that negotiated the deal are equivocating and are not taking a firm position one way or the other on the deal,” he said
The proposal, which was unveiled at a press conference on the grounds of Slater Mill last week – just across the Blackstone River from the Apex parcel where the new ballpark would be situated – called for the PawSox committing $45 million in private funds for the construction costs, with city and team officials touting that the ballpark would be self-sufficient, requiring no new taxes.
The state’s $23 million portion would be paid for and exceeded by revenues generated by the ballpark, ballclub, and project, officials said last week, while Pawtucket would contribute up to $15 million, a large portion of which would be to secure the Apex parcel. In total, the ballpark and land would cost $83 million.
The stadium would be cityowned and the PawSox as part of the deal proposed to commit to remain in Pawtucket for a 30-year extension through 2050. Additionally, the PawSox’ ownership group committed to pay for any construction cost overruns. Gov. Gina M. Raimondo in a statement issued Tuesday evening said “I credit Mayor (Donald) Grebien for so passionately advocating for Pawtucket. My staff at Commerce worked to guide the city and the team toward the framework for a deal that would protect Rhode Island’s taxpayers.”
However, the governor said, final legislation from the city “still has not reached my desk, and I agree with Senate President Ruggerio that consideration of a new ballpark is too important to rush this legislative session.”
Dylan Zelazo – Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien’s chief of staff – said the city would not be commenting on the matter Tuesday night.