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And why wouldn't Grebien be absolutely ecstatic? This would be a dream come true for the city of Pawtucket and the State of Rhode Island. The billionaire would be putting 100+ million into the local economy. Thousands of people would be going to Pawtucket 70-75 nights a year to spend money. Jobs, income tax, sales tax, property tax...this would bring in so much money.
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Studies show that just isn't the case. Google it. Honestly, a Target would provide much more in sales tax and jobs, and the jobs would be for more than 75 nights.
Sports teams have entertainment value to the community, but they add very little to the economy, and can even detract from it.
Would thousands of people go to see a non Red Sox affiliated team? Remains to be seen. They weren't even going to the PawSox anymore.
"Since 2005, the PawSox went from first in the league to now near the bottom for attendance. Overall, from 2005 to the 2018 season, the PawSox average pregame attendance fell 37 percent. The decline was five times larger than the league attendance decline."
And that's with pumping tons of free tickets and outright lying about the numbers.
Well, just a hunch but I'm guessing this billionaire (who is willing to drop 9 figures in Pawtucket) probably has a better grasp on this situation than you and forum member sandsonik.
Both “hunch” and “guessing” are accurate terms since you have no idea of what opportunities and experience my career has offered me.
We’ll see what happens. Hopefully, Mr. Soloviev can bring his bold promises to fruition. Based on my experience, I’m not holding my breath.
Studies show that just isn't the case. Google it. Honestly, a Target would provide much more in sales tax and jobs, and the jobs would be for more than 75 nights.
Sports teams have entertainment value to the community, but they add very little to the economy, and can even detract from it.
I think Pawtucket should let him purchase the stadium if he wants to. And if he's that wealthy, maybe he might want to fund a new high school in another location in Pawt.
Poster is not wrong in pointing out pro sports development doesn’t do much to boost local revenue. Money spent on going to sporting events is discretionary spending. If it isn’t spent on going to a sports event in Pawtucket, RI it will be spent on some other leisure event in Pawtucket or RI. Jobs, income tax revenue, sales tax revenue, etc. will be generated elsewhere in the city or state at other leisure event. If a customer is spending discretionary income at McCoy stadium on a day then he isn’t spending it at a movie or a theater or a concert somewhere else in the city or state that day. If a customer is spending discretionary money on getting food at a McCoy concession stand then he isn’t spending it at a restaurant someplace else in area. Pro sports pumping loads of money into local economy is largely a myth.
I hope Grebien and Pawtucket officials study Soloviev’s proposal and ask him tougher questions than the studying and questioning they put Brett Johnson through about Tidewater Stadium and RIFC.
This guy is specifically interested in McCoy Stadium.
I've seen nothing that indicates he has interest in purchasing just any minor league team or just any ballpark.
He's also not interested in Pawtucket in a general sense. He has made it clear that he wants nothing to do with the soccer stadium.
These are questions Grebien and Pawtucket officials should be asking Soloviev.
Q1 Why are you specifically interested in repairing McCoy Stadium?
Q2 Why don’t you have any interest in buying any other park or team?
Q3 Why aren’t you interested in Pawtucket in a general sense?
Soloviev spent couple of years at URI before dropping out. Why the fixation on McCoy? He’s spent most of his life and career in either NYC, LI, or western American plains. His business focus is agriculture and lately a casino in NYC. Why suddenly a baseball park and team in Pawtucket? Weird. Maybe he thinks Pawtucket and RI politicians are so desperate to wipe egg from faces over Tidewater stadium screw up that they’ll jump at chance to do business with him. Maybe he thinks Pawtucket and RI officials are easy marks.
Poster is not wrong in pointing out pro sports development doesn’t do much to boost local revenue. Money spent on going to sporting events is discretionary spending. If it isn’t spent on going to a sports event in Pawtucket, RI it will be spent on some other leisure event in Pawtucket or RI. Jobs, income tax revenue, sales tax revenue, etc. will be generated elsewhere in the city or state at other leisure event. If a customer is spending discretionary income at McCoy stadium on a day then he isn’t spending it at a movie or a theater or a concert somewhere else in the city or state that day. If a customer is spending discretionary money on getting food at a McCoy concession stand then he isn’t spending it at a restaurant someplace else in area. Pro sports pumping loads of money into local economy is largely a myth.
I hope Grebien and Pawtucket officials study Soloviev’s proposal and ask him tougher questions than the studying and questioning they put Brett Johnson through about Tidewater Stadium and RIFC.
100 million for renovation. That money is not going to be spent elsewhere in RI.
The property taxes for a renovated McCoy Stadium will be enormous. Zero otherwise.
You are assuming that people have money burning a hole in their pocket for entertainment in RI. I'm not sure that's the case here. The draw is baseball. A lot of that money would probably stay in the bank or end up being spent in Boston for a Red Sox game.
Also keep in mind that Pawtucket is a border town. Even if we were to assume that money is burning a hole in their pockets for entertainment, you can't assume that the people from MA coming into Pawtucket to spend money would just go spend that money somewhere else in RI. It's more than likely that it gets spent in MA, not RI.
sandsonik is wrong. The PawSox leaving was financially devastating for the city of Pawtucket.
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