The first demolition of buildings at the Polar Park baseball stadium site in Worcester has begun, starting Thursday morning with the razing of a small warehouse at 50 Washington St.
That building, four others and a portion of another must be demolished to make room for the $101-million ballpark to eventually be the home of the Worcester Red Sox, the Boston Red Sox Triple-A affiliates relocating from Pawtucket.
“This is the first tangible, visible evidence of the beginning of construction of the ballpark,” City Manager Edward Augutus said at the scene. “It’s an important milestone.”
According to preliminary plans, the building in question sits beyond left-center field and is proposed to be a small parking lot.
In August 2018, the city and team announced a deal for the city to acquire the land necessary for the ballpark on former manufacturing property owned by Wyman-Gordon.
The Worcester Redevelopment Authority acquired the 50 Washington St. property via eminent domain in April, paying $800,000 for the property.
In total, the city paid about $8 million to acquire all necessary properties. All businesses affected by the land swaps have received assistance in finding new homes, city officials have said.
Most of the land on the ballpark site is currently controlled by Boston developer Denis Dowdle, who purchased the land earlier this year for $6.1 million. He is expected to convey that property to the city and build a large mixed-use development across Washington Street, with the city hoping it generates enough tax revenue to pay off the ballpark bonds.
