BIDDEFORD — Portland Pirates Managing Owner and CEO Brian Petrovek confirme Friday he has spoken to Biddeford city officials and developers of the Biddeford Downs racino about possibly moving the team to Biddeford.

Crystal Canney, a spokeswoman for the developers of Biddeford Downs, confirmed there has been a discussion between the Pirates’ owners and racino developers.

These discussions are only “exploratory,” said Petrovek. So far there have been no “deep discussions” about moving the team to Biddeford, he said.

In November, Biddeford voters approved the concept of building a $125 million racino, which includes a harness racetrack and slot machines along with a hotel and entertainment complex. The proposed location is along the Andrews Road, off Route 111 and near the Maine Turnpike exit.

Before the racino can be built, negotiations between city officials and the developers need to be completed in addition to changes to state law and going through the regulatory process.

In addition to meeting with the racino developers, Biddeford City Manager John Bubier said he has met with Pirates representatives about the possibility of moving the team to Biddeford.

If the Pirates move from Portland, said Petrovek, moving the team to Biddeford is not the only option. Other possible locations that have been discussed include Saco and property bordering Westbrook and Portland.

Petrovek said he purchased the Portland Pirates 10 years ago. This is the 32nd year the team has played at the Cumberland County Civic Center in Portland, he said.

His preference is to keep the team at the Civic Center, said Petrovek, but staying put is dependent on several factors. He is seeking a long-term contract with the Civic Center Board and the completion of proposed renovations to make the Civic Center state-of-the-art.

Another factor would be if one of the other developers wooing the team can offer a more attractive deal, he said.

Ocean Properties, along with Scarborough Downs owner Sharon Terry, is developing the proposed Biddeford Downs.

In addition to the Portland Pirates, said Canney, others have approached the development team about potential projects that could be included in the racino development.

She declined to discuss what other projects have been discussed.

Since the election, city officials have not met with Biddeford Downs developers, said Biddeford’s Economic Development Director Daniel Stevenson.

However, he said, they plan to meet soon to discuss the next steps in moving forward with the project.

— Staff Writer Dina Mendros can be contacted at 282-1535, Ext. 324 or dmendros@journaltribune.com.