Can an almost-free offer for a prime riverfront parcel in Providence’s long-touted, semi-developed I-195 District compete with the razzle-dazzle of new-money energy in Boston’s Seaport District?
That’s the choice facing Hasbro, the venerable Pawtucket-based toymaker-turned-entertainment company, as it narrows in on a future home.
Rhode Island’s effort to retain the headquarters of Hasbro is seen by some as a “jump ball” with Massachusetts.
The Boston Business Journal reported this week that Hasbro is getting closer to reaching a decision and that one location under consideration is in Boston’s Seaport District.
In November, the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission approved a binding resolution offering Hasbro an acre of riverfront land near downtown Providence for $1. It’s the same land once targeted for a controversial skyscraper by New York developer Jason Fane.
Marc Crisafulli, chairman of the commission, declined a request for comment Tuesday.
Oliva Darocha, spokesman for Gov. Dan McKee, said discussions between the state and Hasbro are continuing and, “We made a strong case to Hasbro highlighting the many reasons they should remain at home right here in Rhode Island.”
Darocha said McKee last spoke with Hasbro CEO Chris Cocks on Jan. 17.
Hasbro is expected to hold a board meeting this week, but the agenda is not known and a company spokeswoman did not respond to a message seeking comment.
Rhode Island officials were taken by surprise when news emerged last September that Hasbro was contemplating leaving its longtime headquarters in Pawtucket.
The company was founded in Providence in 1923 and it’s among the best known corporations based in Rhode Island.
