WRA approves nearly $50M in funding as Polar Park activity begins

Photo | TMS Aerial Solutions Land that's slated to be redeveloped as Polar Park (top) and land proposed for a mixed-use development (bottom).

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By Zachary Comeau

With the Polar Park ceremonial groundbreaking out of the way, the Worcester Redevelopment Authority is taking steps to prepare for construction of the minor league baseball stadium, which included authorizing $49.4 million in funding for the ballpark and a related 500-space parking garage.

The vote taken on Friday was an amendment to the owner-construction manager agreement with construction entity Gilbane-Hunt. The funding, however, is only an estimate and a final construction cost will be negotiated in November once final bids from subcontractors come in.

According to Greg Ormsby, a project manager in the city’s Executive Office of Economic Development, the funding is for site and civil engineering work as well as some concrete and steel work for the ballpark.

The money will also fund pre-cast concrete work for the parking garage.

The ballpark will serve as the home of the Pawtucket Red Sox -- the Boston Red Sox's top minor league affiliate -- when they moved into Worcester's Canal District for the 2021 season.

For the ballpark project, the city has borrowed $101 million which includes construction and land acquisitions. The stadium is slated to be the centerpiece of an overall $240-million redevelopment of the vacant Wyman-Gordon site in the Canal District. Proposed by Boston developer Denis Dowdle on the other side of Madison Street is a mixed-use development including hotels, residential, retail, restaurants and office space.

Worcester Chief Development Office Michael Traynor previously told the WBJ actual construction of the ballpark wouldn’t begin until the fall as plans are still being designed.

Only conceptual renderings and artist sketches have been released for the park, which must be open in time for the start of baseball season in April 2021.