Worcester Ballpark & Redev

I don’t understand the allure of minor league baseball, but evidently there is a market and the stadium may be used for other events as well. I’m glad to see they’re adding some interesting amenities to the park.
In related news, the Table Talk Pie production facility directly next to the stadium is moving a mile or two to an abandoned industrial site in Main South. The store front on Green street will remain.

www.wbjournal.com

Table Talk leaving Kelley Square for $22-million Main South facility

The third generation dessert manufacturer, Table Talk Pies Inc., plans to leave its Kelley Square location near the soon-to-be-built Worcester Red Sox ballpark and build a $22-million facility at the former Crompton & Knowles campus in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood.
www.wbjournal.com www.wbjournal.com
 
cubalibre said:
I don’t understand the allure of minor league baseball, but evidently there is a market and the stadium may be used for other events as well. I’m glad to see they’re adding some interesting amenities to the park.
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Personally, I find baseball games to be a fun family activity in the summer time especially away from the craziness and outrageous expenses of Fenway Park. I have very fond memories of watching games with my kids down the Cape in Orleans and look forward to watching games in Worcester.

Regarding the article: It would be great if Table Talk would eventually sell that property and the buyer transforms it to residential or something more aesthetically pleasing as you approach Polar Park from Kelly Square
 
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from: https://www.wbjournal.com/article/public-spending-on-woosox-projects-to-increase-to-189m

the only thing new (below) is line item 2.

it's curious to me that they state 189M "public spending". It's clear to me that this is a private and public venture though ultimately, Worcester is on the hook if the private side goes belly-up.

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cubalibre said:
I don’t understand the allure of minor league baseball, but evidently there is a market and the stadium may be used for other events as well. I’m glad to see they’re adding some interesting amenities to the park.
Click to expand...

The quality of play is actually pretty good, and there are a fair number of players on AAA rosters who aren't washed up and at least had a cup of coffee in the majors at some point. Prospects usually come through when they're close to promotion too, or when they're in the phase of bouncing on and off the major league roster. It's watchable baseball.
 
cubalibre said:
I don’t understand the allure of minor league baseball, but evidently there is a market and the stadium may be used for other events as well. I’m glad to see they’re adding some interesting amenities to the park.
In related news, the Table Talk Pie production facility directly next to the stadium is moving a mile or two to an abandoned industrial site in Main South. The store front on Green street will remain.

www.wbjournal.com

Table Talk leaving Kelley Square for $22-million Main South facility

The third generation dessert manufacturer, Table Talk Pies Inc., plans to leave its Kelley Square location near the soon-to-be-built Worcester Red Sox ballpark and build a $22-million facility at the former Crompton & Knowles campus in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood.
www.wbjournal.com www.wbjournal.com
Click to expand...

This move makes sense, and I'm glad the store is staying. I have fond memories of walking by that factory on the way to work on cold mornings and smelling the pies baking!
 
cubalibre said:
I don’t understand the allure of minor league baseball, but evidently there is a market and the stadium may be used for other events as well. I’m glad to see they’re adding some interesting amenities to the park.
In related news, the Table Talk Pie production facility directly next to the stadium is moving a mile or two to an abandoned industrial site in Main South. The store front on Green street will remain.

www.wbjournal.com

Table Talk leaving Kelley Square for $22-million Main South facility

The third generation dessert manufacturer, Table Talk Pies Inc., plans to leave its Kelley Square location near the soon-to-be-built Worcester Red Sox ballpark and build a $22-million facility at the former Crompton & Knowles campus in Worcester’s Main South neighborhood.
www.wbjournal.com www.wbjournal.com
Click to expand...

No way, long live minor league ball! Even before I became a parent I preferred a PawSox game to the ones happening a few blocks away from my apartment. Between Fenway ticket prices and food/bev costs, then dealing with all the hammered thick-necked Danny-boys (I'm Irish as soda bread on both sides) who show up looking for more than a ball game, I'd rather donate my money to the RNC.

Eagerly awaiting taking my son to a WooSox game.
 
SlothofDespond said:
The quality of play is actually pretty good, and there are a fair number of players on AAA rosters who aren't washed up and at least had a cup of coffee in the majors at some point. Prospects usually come through when they're close to promotion too, or when they're in the phase of bouncing on and off the major league roster. It's watchable baseball.
Click to expand...

Honestly, the quality of play in baseball doesn't vary much as long as the sides are evenly-matched. Maybe you miss out on some of the more spectacular defense, but there's as much going on as in the majors, and the average fan can't tell the quality of pitch movement/selection/speed or bat speed/angle or any of the other minute things major leaguers do better.

It's different in football, basketball, and hockey, where there are things minor leaguers might not be able to physically do...
 
Well it does vary more than that. I'm a fan of baseball at every level, include youth, but even in professional ball, you get a lot of sloppy pitching in any level bellow AAA. The WooSox/PawSox are AAA, and therefore pretty close to major league level quality, but don't expect to see the same kind of baseball at a Spinners game.
 
citydweller said:
from: https://www.wbjournal.com/article/public-spending-on-woosox-projects-to-increase-to-189m

the only thing new (below) is line item 2.

it's curious to me that they state 189M "public spending". It's clear to me that this is a private and public venture though ultimately, Worcester is on the hook if the private side goes belly-up.

View attachment 2854
Click to expand...

I also think this deal is a little pricey but from Worcester's standpoint its more favorable than at first glance. The way I see it, the city is ponying up 92M (park construction + site acquisition + interest + operating costs - $45M from team) in order to receive $52M in infrastructure spending from the state that wouldn't have happened this quickly if it all. Net-net is this effort with the $40M outlay? Time and the citizens of Worcester will have to answer that one.
 
Economists familiar with minor league ballparks are skeptical the project will pay for itself.

www.wbjournal.com

Odds increase against Polar Park breaking even, economists say

More than half dozen economists interviewed by WBJ said the cost overruns will make Polar Park far less likely to come close to paying for itself after it opens in 2021.
www.wbjournal.com www.wbjournal.com

“The city’s revenue streams are largely vague and built on assumptions, [economics professor at the University of San Francisco] Agha said. The team’s revenue, on the other hand, is virtually guaranteed, including through ticket revenue, she said.”

“Public costs for the project are now so high – the city needs to pay off $137 million over 30 years – virtually everything would need to go as ideally as could be for new revenue even approaching that amount”

“Allen Sanderson, an economist at the University of Chicago, described the city’s costs as out of the ordinary for public spending on stadiums.
“I’d regard this one as extreme in terms of the city’s commitment or exposure,” he said. “They should have been able to negotiate a much better split.”
 
One week later the city is doing a 180, based on the extended shutdown of non-essential business.

Some aerial shots on the first report:
boston.cbslocal.com

Coronavirus Forces Worcester Red Sox To Temporarily Stop Polar Park Construction

The Worcester Red Sox have temporarily stopped construction on the new $90 million Polar Park to slow the spread of coronavirus.
boston.cbslocal.com boston.cbslocal.com

www.masslive.com

Construction of Worcester's Polar Park construction to halt immediately amid COVID-19 pandemic

The halt on construction of Polar Park will be until May 4 unless otherwise instructed, city officials said.
www.masslive.com www.masslive.com
 
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