Last week the Paw Sox took its supporters on a trip to Durham, North Carolina to “see” how a downtown stadium could spur economic growth. One glaring omission of fact was not disclosed: The Durham Bulls are owned by Capitol Broadcasting Company, a privately owned entity, which poured $342 million of its own money intp rehabilitating the old American Tobacco Warehouses, a stone’s throw away from the park. (Durham Master Plan Strategies 2000) What have the PawSox multi-millionaires offered to develop the environs? Zero.

On August 9, the ProJo outlined other important differences between the alleged deal there and here. Durham built its stadium in a decrepit abandoned neighborhood that had nowhere to go but up. The PawSox want prime riverfront property for the bubble or an extended tax treaty,  while the state and federal government have already spent $623 million to move a portion of Route 195 to open land in the heart of the capital city — primarily for development for full time job growth and taxes.

Journal staff writer Kate Bramson wrote the Durham stadium was the first new development on empty land where nobody wanted to invest; The PawSox wouldn’t be the first project in a desirable area near downtown.  Various proposals have already been vetted by the commission in charge of the land. Duke University leased an 85,000 square foot complex which, in turn, brought other private companies. In Rhode Island, while Brown University’s name has been dropped, no clear-cut investment has been determined beyond the present investment made well before the rosy plans of a downtown stadium.

The Durham Bulls also had some notoriety going for it with the Kevin Costner film "Bull Durham", and "The Rookie" starring Dennis Quaid as Jim Morris, a now-retired baseball pitcher. Yet, despite this notoriety and a roller coaster ride of attendance, the Bulls average about 200 more people per game than the PawSox (according to GoLocalProv.com). Finally, the $35.5 million stadium was built with $20.5 million in private funds.

So, after the requested giant rip-off didn’t work, the PawSox owners are now back with an undisclosed plan which the House Speaker says is going to be “revenue neutral.” That’s usually defined as a condition of fiscal policymaking in which any increase or decrease in tax revenues are achieved with a commensurate increase or decrease in tax revenues.

As most analysts  foretell, what looks like “revenue neutral” isn’t. The risk of the project is on the governmental entity. Attendance at games is  unpredictable given the fortunes or lack thereof of the team. Construction overruns usually fall on the public entity “partner” since in for a dime in for a dollar. After 30 years the park is an ancient, decrepit facility.

Already the PawSox are citing a woefully inadequate amount of millions of dollars to move the sewage treatment component already in place. This facet alone could easily cause costs to spiral out of control. Capping the present site correctly, relocating it to land yet undisclosed, connection and/or reconstruction of the new piping system and underground site, and the cost to future businesses wanting to locate on the I- 195 land to hook up to this new site are all potential budget-busters.

Moving a team subtracts from the city which lost the franchise. In other words, revenue neutral is bull.