PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — Could McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket be the next project for a real estate billionaire? The city of Pawtucket says no.

Real-estate tycoon and billionaire Stefan Soloviev told The Providence Journal he’s willing to pay up to fix up McCoy, and even bring in a baseball team.

But Grace Voll, a spokesperson for Mayor Donald Grebien’s office, told Target 12 that the stadium land is “off the table.”

Voll said that’s because voters approved a $330 million bond last year to demolish the stadium and build a new high school. The property will soon be controlled by the Pawtucket School Department.

Though the city says McCoy will not be home to more baseball, Soloviev’s interest may inspire other new development opportunities in Pawtucket.

“The mayor is looking forward to meeting with Mr. Soloviev as he encourages new developers and entrepreneurs to invest in Pawtucket,” Voll told Target 12.

Who is Stefan Soloviev?

Stefan Soloviev is the chairman of Soloviev Group. The company’s website shows its hands are in commercial and residential real estate, agriculture, and renewable energy.

The 48-year-old is the founder of Crossroads Agriculture, “an innovative, large-scale, fully-integrated farming and ranching operation based in Colorado, Kansas, and New Mexico, the only one of its kind,” according to Soloviev’s company bio.

The former University of Rhode Island student attended the school in the 1990s, according to the university. In 2021, Soloviev and his family donated $3 million to URI to update their basketball training facilities.

The Forbes Real Time Billionaires List lists Soloviev’s net worth at $2.3 billion. His company bio describes him as the 26th largest landowner in the United States. 

12 News reached out to Soloviev for comment but did not immediately hear back.