Gorbea Calls for Private Sector to Fill $30M Soccer Stadium Gap, Foulkes Refuses to Answer Questions

Gorbea Calls for Private Sector to Fill $30M Soccer Stadium Gap, Foulkes Refuses to Answer Questions

Rhode Island Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea tells GoLocal that the $30 million in additional funding being requested by the Arizona-based Fortuitous Partners should be paid by private sector.  She is a Democratic candidate for governor.

The State of Rhode Island and the City of Pawtucket have already promised the proposed stadium upwards of $70 million in subsidies, tax breaks, and infrastructure improvements. Now, Fortuitous's CEO Brett Johnson is asking for another $30 million to finance the stadium.

Gorbea says that if the private sector won’t fill the gap, she would “carefully examine increasing state funding."

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Foulkes Refuses to Respond to Questions

In contrast, corporate CEO Helena Foulkes is refusing to answer questions about the project. GoLocal reached out repeatedly to her campaign team and they refused to answer questions about the project.

In Foulkes campaign ads she touts she has plans for education, housing, and economic developments. Foulkes brother — Bernie Buonanno, III,  serves on the RI Commerce Corporation board and he has been a long-time business partner of Habib Gorgi one of the owners of the Worcester Red Sox.

In 2021, Buonanno and Habib's firm Nautic Partners took in a "strategic investment" from Blackstone GP.

 

READ GORBEA'S FULL STATEMENT TO GOLOCAL:

"Public investment in private ventures requires careful consideration and a transparent process. Anytime we invest the state’s taxpayer money into a project, we need to show how it will benefit the state as a whole. There is a lot of research showing that sports facilities on their own don’t provide great return on public investment. However, the Tidewater proposal includes more than just the sports facility. Tidewater is also anchored in a sport with growing appeal in America– soccer. This combination provides the opportunity for positive economic impact not only for Pawtucket, but Rhode Island as a whole. The development could position our state as a leader in soccer regionally. All of us are feeling the impact inflation is having on our lives. However, I would look first to the private sector to bridge the gap generated through unforseen higher development costs. If private sector investment is not enough, I would carefully examine increasing state funding in the project with appropriate oversight and possible returns to the state."