A proposed Tampa Bay Rays ballpark site in St. Petersburg’s Carillon Business Park may have one fatal flaw: the total lack of parking in the mostly developed 432-acre complex.
On the plus side, the site sits near an exit from the Howard Frankland Bridge, the almost-five-mile bridge connecting St. Pete and Tampa and could provide a nice view of the waterfront. The 12-acre site is big enough for a ballpark.
But the site may have a fatal flaw or even two. First, because the business park has been mostly developed, there’s not a ton of space for building parking ramps. The current plan calls for baseball fans to use the parking vacated by business-park tenants, but that’s not a great plan: MLB still plays a number of a weekday regular-season games, which means there would be virtually no parking near the ballpark. And the second issue: because the business park is mostly developed, there’s little chance for any associated development — which means there’s no way for a private developer to ever make back any investment on a new ballpark. There’s no way this ballpark gets built without public assistance.
So put us down as skeptical about the prospect of a new Rays ballpark in Carillon Business Park. With little parking and no economic-spinoff potential, it’s going to be a hard sale both to Pinellas County/St. Pete officials and the Rays ownership.
RELATED STORIES: Pinellas County, private investor want to pitch Rays, St. Pete on ballpark plan; Rays: We’ll talk new ballpark with Hillsborough County; Hillsborough County: Nothing legally bars us from talking new ballpark with Rays; Newly available land parcel could bring downtown Tampa ballpark — maybe; Immigration funds eyed for new Rays ballpark; Oakland contemplates foreign investments to help fund A’s ballpark; Hillsborough County ready to make run at new Rays ballpark; Rays: Prove to us Tampa Bay can support baseball; Could this be the year for a new Rays ballpark?; Regional ballpark authority pitched for Tampa Bay; Mayor, council differ on approach to Rays ballpark issue;Tampa: We could have $100M for new Rays ballpark; Yet another group seeks to break Rays ballpark logjam; St. Pete mayor: there’s nothing wrong with the Trop; Tampa, St. Pete business leaders combine forces for new Rays ballpark; Could Rays declare bankruptcy to escape Trop lease?; Tampa Sports Authority declines to participate in Rays ballpark talks — for now; Chamber to take up Rays ballpark cause; Pinellas County extends hotel tax — but not enough for new Rays ballpark; Selig still “concerned” about Rays ballpark situation; Pinellas County mulls hotel-tax extension for new Rays ballpark; Rays: No, we’re not interested in limiting ballpark search to St. Pete; Can Tampa Bay support MLB?; St. Pete officials now say Trop is replaceable — at a price; Potential new player emerges in Rays ballpark battle; Rays: Time to talk new ballpark again; Rays ballpark brawl: Tampa versus St. Pete; Three Rays ballpark sites recommended by committee; New Rays ballpark discussion shifts to Tampa;Group: Any new Rays ballpark needs retractable roof; Group: Renovating Trop isn’t option in keeping Rays; Rays task force may have prelim recommendations by June — but no site; Rays propose Carillon Town Center site for ballpark
—-
Share your news with the baseball community. Send it to us at editors@augustpublications.com.
Are you a subscriber to the weekly Ballpark Digest newsletter? You can sign up for a free subscription at the Newsletter Signup Page.
Join Ballpark Digest on Facebook and on Twitter!
Follow Ballpark Digest on Google + and add us to your circles!