Worcester Red Sox Ballpark Project Prepares to Select Architect

Courtesy of Creative Commons

By Natalie Clydesdale 10/03/2018

The redevelopment project that includes a new baseball stadium in Worcester is moving forward. The new home for the Pawtucket Red Sox is the centerpiece of the project, which is now in the process of selecting an architect for the job.

Seven architectural firms have expressed an interest in the project. Those firms include Safdie Architects, Sasaki Architects, D’Agostino-Izzo Quirk Architects Inc., JCJ Architecture, The S/L/A/M Collaborative Inc. — Pendulum Studio, Gensler Architecture/Design Inc. and EwingCole.

The city’s Designer Selection Board, comprised of city staff from various departments, plan to interview representatives from each of the firms on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. After completing all of the interviews, the board will rank the proposals and make their decision.

Several of the firms have impressive track records in previously designing stadiums and other facilities. Safdie Architects designed six of Canada’s principal public institutions, such as the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa and Vancouver Library Square. JCJ Architecture was the designer for the $33 million renovation of the XL Center in Hartford back in 2014.

The cost of building the stadium alone is estimated between $86 million and $90 million, while the overall ballpark project is projected to cost $100.8 million. The ballpark will be built in Worcester’s Kelley Square area. Construction is scheduled to begin in July 2019 and be completed by March 2021.