Polar Park to Provide Fans with 5 Scoreboards and LED Sideboards to Inform, Entertain, and Interact

PRESS RELEASE – Polar Park will have high-technology full-color videoboards in Left Field and Right-Center Field, as well as a large, traditional, electronic alphanumeric scoreboard on the Worcester Wall in Right Field, plus a pair of LED Matrix boards behind First and Third Base, all supplied and integrated by experience design and execution company, ANC.

Revised Financing Plan Approved for WooSox Ballpark

The Worcester City Council has approved a revised financing plan to address about $30 million in increased costs for a new baseball stadium being built in the city for the coming Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A, International League).  Read more here.

Polar Park Overruns to be Funded

Worcester (MA) expects to borrow an additional $32 million to cover construction and acquisition costs related to the new Polar Park under construction for the Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A, International League).  In a memo, City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. stated that no existing city tax revenue will be used to fund the new ballpark.   The team and City plan to make up for these costs in part by increasing ticket fees and parking prices at the stadium.  Read more here and here.

Polar Park Construction Costs Exceeding Budget

Construction costs for Polar Park have increased by $9.5 million over initial estimates, while costs to acquire the properties needed for the ballpark, relocate businesses and prepare the site for development have run roughly $20 million more than what was anticipated.  Read more here.

Worcester Red Sox Unveil ‘WooSox’ Branding

On Monday evening, Boston’s Triple-A affiliate announced that, beginning in 2021, it will be known as the Worcester Red Sox. But while that’s the International League team’s official moniker, its “WooSox” nickname promises to be more prominent.  Read more here. See more logos here.  See gear here.

Going Cashless at Polar Park

A store with snacks, drinks, and souvenirs at Polar Park in Worcester (MA) will enable customers to shop without scanning or stopping to check out, according to Standard Cognition co-founder and COO Michael Suswal.  Read more here.

A Polar Park Discussion with Ballpark Designer Janet Marie Smith

Ballpark designer Janet Marie Smith loves the scale of minor league stadiums.  It means she can focus on every last detail.  With Worcester’s new Polar Park at the drawing board, Smith and the Pawtucket/Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) team are imagining how they can infuse Worcester flare into each corner of the venue.  Read more here.

Polar Park Groundbreaking Tomorrow

The city of Worcester (MA) is breaking ground on a new ballpark for the relocating Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) on Thursday, July 11.  Read more here.

Worcester Using Eminent Domain to Acquire Final Properties Needed for Ballpark

The Worcester Redevelopment Authority has filed an eminent domain order of taking to acquire the MedStar Ambulance properties the city needs to build a $101-million stadium for the relocating Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League).  Read more here.

 

Polar Park Capacity Details Revealed

Since the Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) announced the team would be moving to Worcester (MA), fans in New England’s second-largest city have known a stadium is coming their way for the 2021 season, expected to have 10,000 seats.  But, there will only be 7,200 to 7,500 traditional seats in Polar Park.  The rest of the space, to allow for 10,000 fans, will be in gathering places.  Read more here.

Worcester Gets Rolling on Property Acquisition, Parking Garage

The Worcester Redevelopment Authority board unanimously voted Friday to take the first three properties needed to assemble the footprint for the construction of a minor league ballpark off Kelley Square.  The board also voted to spend $23 million for the design and construction of a structured parking garage that will be built on the south side of Madison Street.  Read more here.

Worcester Ballpark Construction/Design Team in Place, Properties Being Targeted

The final piece of the construction/design team for Worcester’s (MA) ballpark project is now in place, as the city’s redevelopment authority has awarded the construction manager at risk contract to Gilbane-Hunt, a joint venture.  In a related matter, offers are being made for acquisition of properties in the area of the proposed ballpark site.  Read more here.

Construction Manager Recommended for Polar Park

The Selection Committee for Polar Park has recommended to the Worcester (MA) Redevelopment Authority that Gilbane-Hunt, a joint venture, be construction manager for the ballpark project.  Read more here.

Talking Ballpark Design in Worcester

On Tuesday, Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) President Dr. Charles Steinberg, Paw Sox Chairman Larry Lucchino, ballpark designer Janet Marie Smith, and City Manager Edward M. Augustus Jr., welcomed some of the other people who will sit around the ballpark-design table, including D’Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects and Sasaki Associates — leaders of the design effort for Polar Park and its surroundings. Read more here and here.

City of Worcester Introduces D’Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects and Sasaki Associates to provide ballpark design https://t.co/7ZGKmTNScf

— Polar Park (@PolarPark2021) January 29, 2019

Ramping Up New Ballpark Utilities Work in Worcester

A significant amount of infrastructure work is planned in the Canal District, Kelley Square and Green Island in Worcester (MA) in the coming months to prepare for the construction of the new home of the Boston Red Sox’s top minor league team.  Read more here.

Worcester Ballpark Board Picks Firm to Design Polar Park

The Worcester Designer Selection Board will recommend Somerville (MA)-based D’Agostino Izzo Quirk Architects, Inc. (D’AIQ) to City Manager Edward Augustus Jr. for the design of Polar Park, the stadium which will house the Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) come the 2021 baseball season. D’AIQ worked on the renovation and expansion of Boston’s Fenway Park.  Read more and view rendering/photo gallery here.

WooSox Ballpark Financing Plan Approved

With council approval of the plan, the city of Worcester can proceed with plans to go to market Wednesday to raise about $30 million through a bond sale.  The offering is expected to be the first in a series of bond sales that will raise the $100.8 million needed to build a new ballpark for the relocating Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League).  Read more here.

Moody’s Gives Worcester Ballpark Bonds High Rating

The credit rating agency Moody’s Investors Service has assigned a high quality rating to $27.5 million in bonds the city of Worcester (MA) plans to issue to pay for costs associated with a new city-owned baseball park for the relocating Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League).  Read more here.

An Interview with Ballpark Designer Janet Marie Smith

Ballpark designer Janet Marie Smith is known for her work on the design and construction of Camden Yards, her role senior vice president of planning and development for the Los Angeles Dodgers, and overseeing the preservation and expansion of Fenway Park from 2002-2009.  Now she’s working along side former Boston Red Sox executive Larry Lucchino planning the site for the future Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A, International League).  Read more here.

Worcester Interviews 7 Architects for Ballpark

Worcester’s (MA) Designer Selection Board wrapped up two days of interviews Thursday with seven prospective architects for the city’s minor league ballpark project.  After interviewing three firms Wednesday and four on Thursday, the board went behind closed doors late Thursday afternoon to discuss the merits of the proposals.  Read more here.

Worcester Picks Firm to Manage Ballpark Project

Worcester (MA) officials are set Friday to select New York-based Skanska USA, a subsidiary of Swedish construction firm Skanska, as the owner’s project manager for the $90-million Worcester Red Sox stadium project.  Read more here.

Firms Line Up to Design, Build New Worcester Ballpark

Seven firms have submitted bid proposals to the city in response to a Request for Qualifications issued by the Worcester Redevelopment Authority for design and construction administration services for a professional minor league baseball park with a maximum seating capacity of 10,000.  Read more here.

Worcester Approves Ballpark Financing

The Worcester (MA) City Council Tuesday night approved a loan authorization of up to $100.8 million for the construction of a 10,000-seat ballpark that will be home to the relocating Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) beginning with the 2021 season.  Read more here.

New Renderings Released for New Worcester Ballpark

Fans will have to wait three years to step foot inside Polar Park, the 10,000-seat stadium that will house the Worcester Red Sox (Triple-A, International League).  But for now, new renderings released by the city give a glimpse into what the stadium and its surrounding development will look like.  Read more here.

Council Committee Approves Worcester Ballpark Package

The proposed deal and financing package to bring the Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) to Worcester (MA) cleared its first local legislative hurdle Wednesday night, winning the approval of the City Council Economic Development Committee.  Read more here.

Next Ballpark Steps for City, WooSox

The Worcester (MA) Redevelopment Authority is looking to lay the initial groundwork this week on the process for constructing a 10,000-seat stadium that will eventually be the new home for the Boston Red Sox top minor league team.  Read more here.

PawSox Moving to Worcester, Bravehearts Stand Strong

The Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) are moving to Worcester (MA) and will be building a new 10,000-seat ballpark, team and city officials announced Friday. Red Sox chairman Tom Werner was first to confirm the swirling rumors, saying that the Paw Sox, will be moving to Worcester.  Read more and watch news report here.  Upon hearing the news, the successful Worcester Bravehearts (Summer Collegiate, Futures League) say they aren’t going anywhere and “don’t back down from a challenge.”  Read more here.

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— Worcester Bravehearts (@WooBaseball) August 17, 2018

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WooSox? PawSox Tour Possible Ballpark Site in Worcester

As rumors swirl the Pawtucket Red Sox (Triple-A, International League) are leaving for Worcester (MA), team leadership confirmed they toured a potential stadium site in Worcester on Tuesday.   This comes days after the team applied to trademark, “WooSox,” the speculated name of the team should they move and re-brand.  Read more and watch news report here.