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But the soccer club’s most-ardent fans aren’t too concerned.
“If we’re delayed for a little bit then there you go, that’s construction,” said Ervin Vargas, president of Defiance 1636, the official supporters group for Rhode Island Football Club. “We support the team. We trust them. We expect to play at home.”
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Once the $130 million, 10,000-seat stadium finally opens in Pawtucket, he told the Globe, “the community is going to thrive having this here, and we’re excited for it.”
The Rhode Island FC has been playing its home games at a 5,252-capacity Beirne Stadium at Bryant University in Smithfield. The team had an average attendance of about 4,250 people at their 16 matches at home this season, according to data Rhode Island FC shared with the Globe, selling out three games including the one against rivals Hartford Athletic.
In its report, JLL, the construction management firm that is monitoring the Tidewater Landing stadium project, cited financing delays as one of the main reasons for the later completion date, which was first reported by WPRI. The stadium has raised eyebrows for being one of the most expensive projects for a minor league team. The city of Pawtucket, the state of Rhode Island, and developer Fortuitous Partners are financing the building of the stadium, and the private developer will eventually take possession of it.
A spokesperson for Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien said he expects the team’s home opener to be played in Pawtucket. And stadium developer Fortuitous Partners is confident that next year the club will play all of 17 its home games there next year.
“Outside of any catastrophic, unforeseen, event that is outside anybody’s control, this stadium, for all functional purposes, will be complete and will be occupied and we’ll be playing soccer games, soccer matches, in April,” Mike Raia, a spokesperson for Fortuitous, told the Globe.
Representatives for Rosemawr Management, which bought bonds that were part of the financing structure for the project, and Stifel Financial Corp., an underwriter of the bonds, said they were aware of the construction delay and were confident that the developer would complete the project by Spring 2025.
Earlier this month, season ticket memberships for the Rhode Island FC’s 2025 season went on sale in four premium seating tiers ranging from “Riverside Field” seats ($90 per game, $1,620 for the season) to “Platinum Club” seats ($200 per game, $3,600 for the season). General seating pricing ranges from $16.36-$44 per game.
Matthew Touchette, a spokesperson for the state’s economic development agency, Rhode Island Commerce, said the developer would be responsible for any associated cost overruns that may emerge due to the delay, which Raia confirmed.
Meanwhile, Governor Dan McKee told the Globe he was excited about the prospect of seeing the team host their matches in their new home at last.
“We are very confident that’s gonna open there. Our Rhode Island Football Club is having a good year, by the way,” he said, alluding to the team potentially making the playoffs with two matches remaining in the season.
“We are looking forward to that stadium opening up in time to make sure that their home games next year will be in Pawtucket.”
Christopher Gavin of the Globe Staff contributed to this report.
Omar Mohammed can be reached at omar.mohammed@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter (X) @shurufu.
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