The fact that the governor had to sit in at the Commerce Corp meeting to break the tie is in and of itself concerning. The project is already reaching $50 million in cost overruns – which I can all but guarantee will continue to rise and require Legislative approval of more funding.
When this project was sold to the legislature, it was necessary for the General Assembly to radically alter eminent domain laws in favor of developers strictly for the area in Pawtucket where the stadium is going. The “ancillary development” was sold to the legislature as the silver lining to the public funding for the stadium and the two were intrinsically linked – now it appears that there is no longer a connection.
Soccer Stadium! McKee Forced To Vote On Tiebreaker-Veteran Board Members Dissent
Pawtucket has been in a steep economic decline for a while now. The General Assembly has continued to approve billions of dollars in bonds for the city – the highest amount of bonded indebtedness than any other municipality since I joined the legislature in 2011. The economic health is not there – and the “build it and they will come” approach being taken will not produce good results in my opinion.
We’ve seen this movie before in Rhode Island. It’s why I voted against these initiatives when they were before us in the House, and it’s why I remain opposed to this project and the continuous manipulation of the terms and conditions. This chicken too shall come home to roost, regrettably.
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