PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WPRI) — McCoy Stadium may have just celebrated its final inning, but the game isn’t over until the last out.

Kate McCoy, who’s related to the stadium’s namesake, urged Pawtucket City Council Wednesday to put off demolishing the historic ballpark.

“There’s hope here,” she said. “This is an anchor for the community … It is a place that connects people.”

The city is planning on tearing down the stadium in favor of a new high school, which voters approved a $300 million bond for last fall. But that referendum didn’t specify exactly where the new school would be built.

“We believe we can have both a new school and McCoy Stadium,” McCoy said. “We should seriously consider other options.”

The ballpark has sat vacant since 2019, when the PawSox rebranded and moved to Worcester.

Efforts to save the stadium by real estate mogul Stefan Soloviev have gained momentum over the past few months.

An online petition to save McCoy Stadium has garnered more than 2,800 signatures, and supporters took turns Wednesday urging councilors to seriously consider Soloviev’s proposal.

“The storied walls of McCoy Stadium have witnessed countless memories and moments that have defined us,” said Christine McNeil, who is also related to the stadium’s namesake. In rallying behind its revitalization, we’re not just preserving a structure. We are honoring our city’s soul.”

“It is part of our history,” she continued. “It is our heartbeat.”

Though Pawtucket Mayor Donald Grebien believes it is far too late to save the beloved ballpark, he will review and consider Soloviev’s proposal once he submits it to the city.

“The mayor is still open to the idea of rehabilitating the stadium,” a city spokesperson said in a statement. “However, he continues to prioritize education and the development of the new high school.”