Tidewater Landing Stadium - Pawtucket

[RF1]

The site prep work on the new soccer stadium at Tidewater Landing in Pawtucket is nearing completion. Construction of the 15,000 seat stadium should soon commence and be possibly ready by 2023. This will be part of a larger $400M development that will span both sides of the river just south of Route 95. While the venue will be primarily used as the home for a USL Soccer team, developers have expressed an interest to have it host other events (concerts and other sporting events) as well. I would think college football games involving the RI FCS teams might be a possibility. Brown would make the most sense as the stadium would be just 3.5 miles from the main entrance gates of Brown. Their stadium is already not on campus as it is nearly 1.75 miles away. The Pawtucket stadium would seat 15k with lights, modern amenities, and more parking than at Brown Stadium (I myself could even see Brown possibly entertaining selling the uber desirable site of the aging spartan Brown Stadium for house lots for big money and playing all games there). While it would not be nearly as desirable for either URI or Bryant, it perhaps could function as a neutral site venue for RI teams to face one another. What are people's thoughts on this?

http://thetidewaterlanding.com/


This is the rendering looking north up the Seekonk River (which goes by the name of the Blackstone above the falls between the former Apex store and Slater Mill). The stone arched Division Street Bridge is visible in the background toward the top center. Route 95 is not shown but would be just beyond it. The stadium is on the left which is the west bank side of the river. A proposed pedestrian bridge linking the development on both sides of the river is just by the top edge NE corner of the stadium.

[ATPTourFan]

Will it have artificial surface like at Gillette where striping can be reconfigured?

If natural grass (preferred for soccer), they won't ever want football on there.

[RF1]

Will it have artificial surface like at Gillette where striping can be reconfigured?

If natural grass (preferred for soccer), they won't ever want football on there.

I am not certain what the field surface will be. I would however think an artificial surface would lend it to more uses if there was a big desire to generate additional revenues from other events. As with football, I also don't think you would want concerts on real turf.

The primary person behind this development is Brett Johnson. The Brown grad is Founder and Principal of Fortuitous Partners real estate developers and is also co-chairman and shareholder of Phoenix Rising Football Club (PRFC). PRFC originally played for some seven years at Casino Arizona Field which was natural grass. It moved to a bigger nearby Wild Horse Pass Stadium in 2021 which is also grass.

[ATPTourFan]

[RhowdyRam02]

Honestly I would hate having neutral site games here, games belong on campus. The only time I'd want to use it is if Meade is unavailable due to construction

[RF1]

I took this photo of the site on 03-08-2022. It is looking southeast. The former Memorial Hospital is visible on the other side of the river. Festival Pier Park is along the water's edge on the opposite bank of the river.

[RhodyRams916]

Honestly I would hate having neutral site games here, games belong on campus. The only time I'd want to use it is if Meade is unavailable due to construction

Idk, imagine PC vs URI mens soccer. They could split the stadium in half, one side for PC fans one for URI fans. Maybe they can run buses to the stadium for students.

[Brian Forster]

The soccer game is good idea. But let PC and Brown move their home games vs Rhody to tidewater for soccer and FB.
FB can play some scrimmages there to start.

[Bartoburger]

Looks awesome. I wouldn't mind seeing URI or Brown host UMASS, UCONN, Holy Cross, any other D1 New England football team URI here. I know the capacity would be an issue for UCONN and UMASS. I wonder if it is possible to get another 2-3k in standing room tickets to a game here? I would also like to see the Revolution play some homes in Pawtucket. I really like the configuration and setting for this soccer specific stadium.

[RhowdyRam02]

Honestly I would hate having neutral site games here, games belong on campus. The only time I'd want to use it is if Meade is unavailable due to construction

Idk, imagine PC vs URI mens soccer. They could split the stadium in half, one side for PC fans one for URI fans. Maybe they can run buses to the stadium for students.

Playing soccer games there makes sense in ways that it doesn't make sense for football games. For one, I imaging that the soccer players would enjoy playing in a pro stadium where football players wouldn't care about playing in a pro soccer stadium. Also, there's no tailgating for soccer games that I'm aware of. Where in Pawtucket do you plan to have a tailgate for 5000 or so people at a bare minimum? Finally, how many people would travel from South County to a game in Pawtucket?

[TruePoint]

Aside from playing some novelty college games there, is there an anchor tenant lined up? Is Rhode Island getting a USL team? It seems like they absolutely should have one, it’s the exact right sized market for it.

[RhowdyRam02]

Yes, they'll be getting a USL team

[TruePoint]

Hopefully they draw well and it embarrasses the Krafts into doing something about the Revs’ stadium situation. Completely ridiculous for them to be playing in a quarter-full NFL stadium in 2022 in the MLS. There are some great soccer stadiums in that league now, the Krafts are WAY behind.

[RhodyRams916]

Hopefully they draw well and it embarrasses the Krafts into doing something about the Revs’ stadium situation. Completely ridiculous for them to be playing in a quarter-full NFL stadium in 2022 in the MLS. There are some great soccer stadiums in that league now, the Krafts are WAY behind.

I'm a Revs STH and it's so embarrassing that they play in that stadium. They just drew 16,000 on a Saturday at 7:30PM, and it looks terrible for the league. I'm very excited for the RI USL team though.

[TruePoint]

Hopefully they draw well and it embarrasses the Krafts into doing something about the Revs’ stadium situation. Completely ridiculous for them to be playing in a quarter-full NFL stadium in 2022 in the MLS. There are some great soccer stadiums in that league now, the Krafts are WAY behind.

I'm a Revs STH and it's so embarrassing that they play in that stadium. They just drew 16,000 on a Saturday at 7:30PM, and it looks terrible for the league. I'm very excited for the RI USL team though.

If they had an appropriate stadium then (a) 16,000 wouldn’t *look* as embarrassing (as in visually on TV), (b) the environment would be better and going would be more fun, so they would draw more, and (c) the players would probably not resent playing here as much because it would feel a lot different playing in front of 16,000 people in a 20,000 person stadium than in a 70,000 person stadium.

I have gotten hugely into soccer in the last few years, mostly the European leagues but also starting to follow MLS more. I don’t have much desire to go to Gillette to watch the Revs, even though I do follow them and watch on TV pretty regularly. I’ll definitely go check out a RI USL team at this new stadium though - and Gillette is half as far away for me coming from Boston. I didn’t realize before I started following the league more closely what an absolute joke the Revs are from an infrastructure standpoint. Really think it is holding down the fan support in this area which is really taking off in other parts of the country. Yes, we have more historically significant pro sports teams already than they do in Nashville, Cincinnati or Charlotte. But this is a good sports town and people will get into it if you give them a reason. Right now they’re operating like MLS teams did in the 90s and the league has just moved way past that. Even from a personnel standpoint, it seems like other teams are shifting to a better development model and producing players in their academies that they can sell on to Europe and the Revs are acquiring washed veteran USMNT players like Lletget and Altidore. Have Tajon Buchanan last year was a blast, hopefully they can get more exciting young guys on their way up. That’s almost more of a draw for me watching MLS than how the team is doing in the standings.

[RAMFAN]

https://www.wpri.com/target-12/rising-c ... r-stadium/

[KeaneyBluBallz]

hard pass

[Rhodymob05]

Good for Pawtucket. They need this. As far as football, would be a cool venue.

[RhodyRams916]

Hopefully they draw well and it embarrasses the Krafts into doing something about the Revs’ stadium situation. Completely ridiculous for them to be playing in a quarter-full NFL stadium in 2022 in the MLS. There are some great soccer stadiums in that league now, the Krafts are WAY behind.

I'm a Revs STH and it's so embarrassing that they play in that stadium. They just drew 16,000 on a Saturday at 7:30PM, and it looks terrible for the league. I'm very excited for the RI USL team though.

If they had an appropriate stadium then (a) 16,000 wouldn’t *look* as embarrassing (as in visually on TV), (b) the environment would be better and going would be more fun, so they would draw more, and (c) the players would probably not resent playing here as much because it would feel a lot different playing in front of 16,000 people in a 20,000 person stadium than in a 70,000 person stadium.

I have gotten hugely into soccer in the last few years, mostly the European leagues but also starting to follow MLS more. I don’t have much desire to go to Gillette to watch the Revs, even though I do follow them and watch on TV pretty regularly. I’ll definitely go check out a RI USL team at this new stadium though - and Gillette is half as far away for me coming from Boston. I didn’t realize before I started following the league more closely what an absolute joke the Revs are from an infrastructure standpoint. Really think it is holding down the fan support in this area which is really taking off in other parts of the country. Yes, we have more historically significant pro sports teams already than they do in Nashville, Cincinnati or Charlotte. But this is a good sports town and people will get into it if you give them a reason. Right now they’re operating like MLS teams did in the 90s and the league has just moved way past that. Even from a personnel standpoint, it seems like other teams are shifting to a better development model and producing players in their academies that they can sell on to Europe and the Revs are acquiring washed veteran USMNT players like Lletget and Altidore. Have Tajon Buchanan last year was a blast, hopefully they can get more exciting young guys on their way up. That’s almost more of a draw for me watching MLS than how the team is doing in the standings.

I couldn't agree more on all of what you said above. It hurts me to see almost every expansion team getting their own beautiful soccer stadium. I get that it's hard to build one in Boston, but how are other teams getting it done? (Nashville, Columbus, Saint Louis, Minnesota, Cincy).

I love the team and what they've accomplished since bringing Bruce in, but I just can't get excited for ANYTHING off the field. The RI stadium will be amazing. I hope the Revs play them in the US open cup one day in Pawtucket and get their ass kicked.

[RhowdyRam02]

https://www.wpri.com/target-12/rising-c ... r-stadium/

"The rising costs of materials, meanwhile, raises new questions about whether the overall size of the project will be further reduced. The stadium itself was initially billed as having 10,000 seats, although a news release from the state last February suggested the minimum would be 7,000."

If the stadium is really going to be only 7000 to 10,000 seats, there is no benefit to holding URI football games there unless we're using it while remodeling Meade

[RhowdyRam02]

Good for Pawtucket. They need this. As far as football, would be a cool venue.

Why would a soccer stadium 35 miles from campus with barely more capacity than Meade, no room to tailgate, and no history be a cool venue?

This idea of holding games off campus for any reason other than necessity seems odd. Isn't one of the most important things about having the program the idea of bringing thousands of people onto campus 5 times a year in the fall? And now we want to give those dates up?

[OBRAM]

If one didn't notice, Brown Stadium is perfectly situated so that on one of the shortest days of the year in November, the sun sets directly
between the two towers on the West stands. That way, the sun is not in the player's eyes. All Brown Needs to do is a upgrades to bring Brown Stadium up to date.
To me this new soccer stadium looks to be in a deep valley, where not much sunlight will get to in Novemember.

[NYGFan_Section208]

If one didn't notice, Brown Stadium is perfectly situated so that on one of the shortest days of the year in November, the sun sets directly
between the two towers on the West stands. That way, the sun is not in the player's eyes. All Brown Needs to do is a upgrades to bring Brown Stadium up to date.
To me this new soccer stadium looks to be in a deep valley, where not much sunlight will get to in Novemember.

Or, just move the sun?

[TruePoint]

If one didn't notice, Brown Stadium is perfectly situated so that on one of the shortest days of the year in November, the sun sets directly
between the two towers on the West stands. That way, the sun is not in the player's eyes. All Brown Needs to do is a upgrades to bring Brown Stadium up to date.
To me this new soccer stadium looks to be in a deep valley, where not much sunlight will get to in Novemember.

Really struggling to think of something I could care about less. They have lights at stadiums now, not sure if you heard about that.