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Heritage Alliance urges preservation of Pawtucket City Hall and McCoy Stadium during public comment
Summary
At the Pawtucket City Council meeting a Heritage Alliance representative urged officials to prioritize preservation of City Hall and McCoy Stadium, criticized perceived lack of public transparency and single-source consulting on restoration costs, and requested broader community engagement and independent cost reviews.
A representative of the Heritage Alliance of Pawtucket urged the City Council to prioritize preservation of Pawtucket City Hall and McCoy Stadium and to increase transparency and community engagement on decisions about historic public properties.
Speaker Zachary Russell told the council that the Alliance hosted a public forum on Feb. 3 with about 37 attendees and that attendees voiced concern the city’s identity is at risk if the historic City Hall is allowed to deteriorate or if permanent municipal moves are made without public input. Russell said the Alliance was concerned that only one contractor (Downs Construction) so far had provided an estimate for City Hall work and that the community would like multiple independent cost reviews and more public meetings. He recited three rough cost scenarios discussed at the forum: removing the city-hall tower (roughly $6 million), demolishing the entire building (roughly $10 million) and full renovation (roughly $92 million), noting the latter figure would likely require grants and other funding.
Russell said forum attendees opposed decisions being made in a vacuum and called for “truth and transparency” to rebuild trust. He also urged the council to consider McCoy Stadium’s function and identity value to the city, flagged community interest in preserving aspects of the stadium in future redevelopment or school designs, and said preservation advocates are not obstructionists but want to balance development with historic identity.
Councilors acknowledged the concerns and said additional reviews were underway; one councilor noted that the council’s committee was obtaining another quote beyond the initial one. The council accepted Russell’s handout for the clerk’s office for further review. No formal council action on City Hall or stadium preservation was recorded during the meeting; the item remained a public-comment appeal for broader process and additional study.
Russell asked the council to reflect on the city’s vision and whether it aligns with resident priorities; councilors said they would pursue additional information and reviews as appropriate.
