One day after saying the state of MA would explore all
options for a Red Sox ballpark, House Speaker Thomas
Finneran "has opened the door for competing proposals" to
the team's plan for a new ballpark, according to Meg
Vaillancourt of the BOSTON GLOBE. It "appears that two
tentative plans are gaining ground now that Finneran has
made it clear will he consider a variety of plans." The
first alternative is the plan by the Save Fenway Park group,
while a "group of investors is quietly developing a second,
more tenuous proposal," which would build a new ballpark
around the "so-called" CrossTown site near the Southeast
Expressway. But one business exec said, "Maybe the speaker
can prevent the Red Sox from building their proposed new
ballpark, but I don't see how he can force them to go where
they don't want to go" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/28). In Boston, Joe
Battenfeld writes that Finneran's remarks "not only cast
some doubt" on the Red Sox' ballpark plans, but "gave
encouragement" to the Save Fenway Park group. Team
officials "are still assessing Finneran's words, but seemed
stunned" at his announcement (BOSTON HERALD, 5/28).
KEEP AN EYE ON DEBT SERVICE: Legg Mason Wood Walker
Managing Dir John Moag said that the Red Sox could face
difficulties in financing a $350M ballpark. Moag: "At $350
million, they are still going to have to get the cost down.
That's a big nut to carry." Red Sox ballpark spokesperson
Kathryn St. John: "We've said all along there are going to
be special challenges building a ballpark in an urban
setting. But we think it's feasible" (BOSTON HERALD, 5/28).
