MA legislative leaders are "prepared to give the Red
Sox more public aid for a new ballpark" than the $70M in
infrastructure assistance they will give to the Patriots,
according to Macero, Bartolotta & Silberman of the BOSTON
HERALD. But top lawmakers "all say that the state must be
cut in on lucrative revenue streams," and Gov. Paul Cellucci
and State Senate President Thomas Birmingham "are eyeing two
parking garages the Red Sox plan to build as part" of a new
$550M ballpark complex. While a new Fenway Park will cost
the team around $350M, city and state funds are "on the
table for parking facilities, infrastructure, improved
transit systems and a public park carved from a portion of
the current Fenway." Those components "account for nearly"
$200M. Cellucci: "I don't think it's going to be that
difficult. The project scope is significantly larger [than
the Patriots project]. But the revenue streams will be
greater as well" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/18). Also in Boston,
Vaillancourt & Krupa report that the "only major public
disagreement among key political players yesterday was how
much money the team should be required to pay back to the
state." MA House Speaker Thomas Finneran: "There has to be
a revenue stream. And if the Sox get more money for
infrastructure up front, they will have to pay more each
year." Meanwhile, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino is "willing to
use the city's eminent domain powers to help the team
assemble a 15-acre site for the park" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/18).
HARRINGTON ON THE MOUND: Red Sox CEO John Harrington
told editors of the Boston Globe yesterday, "I think when
our financing package is finalized you will see a
significant private investment in this project -- one of the
largest private investments made by any team." Harrington
said the team doesn't intend to sell naming rights and is
not looking for an equity partner. Harrington: "We don't
need one for this project" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/18).
PREMIUM SEATS A PREMIUM: In Boston, Gregg Krupa notes
that "most of the increase" in seats at the proposed new
park "will be at the extreme high and low ends of ticket
prices," as about 7,500 seats of the 11,000-seat increase
are premium seats or center-field bleachers. But Harrington
said the increase in premium seats will allow the team to
hold the line on the cost of regular seats. Harrington: "We
don't like the position we're in, where we have the highest
ticket prices in the game" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/18).
REAX: In Boston, Joan Vennochi: "The bet here is that
the Yawkey Trust gets what it wants. To protect our part of
the wager, taxpayers need to know how much the Red Sox are
really putting in -- and how much they are really taking
out" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/18). A BOSTON GLOBE editorial states
the team has made a "compelling case" for a new Fenway, but
they "need to go into greater detail" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/18).
