UPDATED: RI Commerce Approves Controversial Soccer Stadium by 6-5 Vote - 2 Board Members Abstain
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UPDATED: RI Commerce Approves Controversial Soccer Stadium by 6-5 Vote - 2 Board Members Abstain
The project was originally proposed by former Governor Gina Raimondo and has seen numerous setbacks.
Originally pitched as a $400 million project, the proposal has been scaled back, but the developer of the project, Fortuitous Partners, has repeatedly refused to provide specific updates on the scale of the proposal.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTAccording to the approval, the project will receive:
a. The Award providing for net bond proceeds of $27,000,000;
b. $10,000,000 of net proceeds realized from the previously-authorized Rebuild Rhode Island Tax Credit award; and
c. $10,000,000 net proceeds from the City; and
The Project is also receiving tens of millions in state-funded infrastructure improvements.
After the Commerce Corporation vote, McKee, Pawtucket Mayor Don Grebien, and Fortuitous’ Brett Johnson issued a joint statement:
“Thank you to the Commerce Corporation Board – with tonight’s vote, the construction on the Tidewater Landing Stadium Project can now continue. Together, all the parties have come to an agreement on a public-private partnership which includes clear taxpayer protections in place and commits more private dollars to the stadium than any other project of its kind in the United Soccer League.
The Tidewater Landing development, on the banks of the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, is a gamechanger for both the city of Pawtucket and the state of Rhode Island. A multi-use stadium will be the anchor of the development which will include housing, restaurants, retail stores, and recreational amenities. Rhode Islanders and visitors will be able to attend a soccer game or a concert, enjoy the Riverwalk, grab a bite, or call Tidewater Landing home. This world-class destination on Pawtucket’s riverfront will support thousands of jobs and create millions of dollars of tax revenue. This project will help us continue Rhode Island’s economic momentum and we look forward to the project’s official groundbreaking.”
Karl Wadensten, who has served on the Commerce Corporation board for more than a decade and was the only member of the board to vote against 38 Studios funding in 2010, abstained in the vote.
"I only received the material on Saturday. I did not have enough time to read it. I did not have enough information to vote 'yes' or 'no,'" said Wadensten in a phone interview after the vote.
Foulkes and Kalus Critical
Fellow Democratic candidate for governor Helena Foulkes said, "This project deserves to be much bigger than an isolated stadium. I’m not confident that Governor McKee explored all options for private funding that could have kept the entire project intact today. While I wish they went further, I’m glad to see enhanced taxpayer protections in this deal. As governor, I will do everything in my power to ensure that Pawtucket benefits from the full proposed development—housing, restaurants, riverwalk and all.”
Republican candidate for Governor Ashley Kalus criticized McKee's actions.
"Despite Rhode Islanders getting crushed by inflation and our country heading toward a recession, Dan McKee is determined to give out more goodies than a McDonald’s drive-thru. Rather than providing relief to families in need, the McKee Administration seems more concerned with doling out taxpayer dollars to insiders," said Kalus.
"Time and again we hear from politicians that there’s no money for projects that would have a direct impact on people’s lives, but with $67 million set to be allocated for the Pawtucket Soccer Stadium plus the $41 million for the Superman Building, we know that’s not true. While this governor prioritizes corporate welfare, I’ll cut taxes and regulations for all Rhode Islanders and invest in affordable housing, universal pre-K, college tuition assistance, and the blue economy," she added.
Nellie Gorbea, another candidate for the Democratic nomination for governor, did not respond to questions.
On Tuesday, independent candidate for Governor Zach Hurwitz issued the following statement:
“Especially now, as we head into a possible recession with record-breaking inflation, priorities must be taken into consideration on where and how we spend our State's money. Providence County, where Pawtucket is located, has the highest food insecurity rate in Rhode Island. Almost 20% of RI households worry about having enough food to put on the table," said Hurwitz. "The revitalization of the Pawtucket Riverfront is important, but we must find a balance in making sure that all Rhode Islanders don’t worry about where their next meal is coming from.”
Here is how the vote broke down:
Voting for the Project:
Michael Solomon - Former Providence City Council President
George Nee - AFL-CIO
Brenda Dan-Messier - Education Consultant
David Chenevert - Executive Director of Rhode Island Manufacturers Association
Liz Catucci - President and CEO of the Northern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce
Voting No:
Vanessa Toledo-Vickers - Community Development Vice President for Rhode Island and Connecticut for Citizens Bank
Donna Sams - Information Technology Executive
Michael McNally - Retired Executive Skanska
Mary Jo Kaplan - Business Consultant
Bernard Buonnano - Nautic Partners (Brother of gubernatorial candidate Helena Foulkes)
Abstain
Karl Wadensten - President/CEO of VIBCO Vibrators
Bill Stone - Founder and managing partner of Outside GC LLC
Johnson's Other Ownership in Soccer
As GoLocal previously reported, Johnson has minor ownership in other soccer clubs -- fractional ownership. The only team that he has a controlling interest in is an Arizona team - FC Tuscon.
FC Tucson
The one team Johnson has a controlling interest in is the FC Tucson team. It plays in the same league as the team Johnson is proposing for Pawtucket — the USL, but at a lower level. The team in Pawtucket and the team in Tucson are minor league teams.
Johnson took a controlling interest in the FC Tucson team 2021. Previously, he had an ownership and management interest in Tucson via another team he was a shareholder in — Phoenix Rising. According to press reports, Johnson still has a financial interest in the Phoenix team, but Johnson has repeatedly refused to respond to questions about his ownership interest.
Tucson v. Pawtucket or Tucson v. Rhode Island
Tucson, Arizona is a city with a population more than eight-times larger than Pawtucket.
The Tucson metro area has a population of 1.1 million — about the population of Rhode Island. Tucson's population is about 545,000 and Pawtucket's is about 72,000.
Johnson’s team F.C. Tucson plays in the Kino Sports Complex — a county-owned facility that seats about 3,200.
There is an adjacent baseball facility in the sports complex. Think of a McCoy Stadium facility for baseball.
The Tucson Padres used to play in the baseball stadium — the former spring training home of the Chicago White Sox and Arizona Diamondbacks —but like the Paw Sox, the Tucson minor league moved away.
Johnson’s team plays in a separate stadium in the same sports complex. The soccer portion of the complex was developed for the FC Tucson team in 2014.
According to Tucson.com in 2014, "Soccer will soon have a permanent presence at Kino Sports Complex. Plans are moving forward on an agreement between Pima County and FC Tucson to use five fields and a clubhouse for soccer events."
The cost of the facility was only in the hundreds of thousands at the time, not in the tens of millions Johnson is calling for in Pawtucket.
"The field conversion would cost $81,000, which FC Tucson would pay back over two or three years, said county administrator Chuck Huckelberry. The county would relocate fences, add bleacher seating for up to 2,000 fans and change the lighting to make it more affordable....FC Tucson also would pay about $64,000 to use the clubhouse, formerly occupied by minor league baseball, and also pay a field-use fee. 'We're not going to make any money, but we're not going to lose any money in the proposition,' Huckelberry said," reported Tucson.com.
"Tucson will be well positioned to be a major hub for 'an emerging sport that's going to be very popular,' Huckelberry said in 2014.
But, eight years later, there is little fan base and small attendance.
FC Tucson — Attendance Questions
According to league data, Johnson's Tucson team in 2021 drew a near league-low 1,007 per game.
For the 2022 season, GoLocal reviewed game films of the Tucson team's home games and hand-counted the number of fans. In reviewing three games, the attendance averaged closer to 600 fans or less per game.
This season Tucson is the last ranked team in the 11-team league.
Johnson did not respond to questions about the Tucson team's attendance.
This story was updated on July 26 at 6:00 AM This story was first published 7/25/22 7:59 PM