Considering Florida’s extreme political climate, a surprising number of candidates for Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners indicated some level of government support for a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark in Tampa. Party affiliation didn’t seem to be a factor in how candidates responded to queries from 10 News on how they’d approach bringing the Rays […]
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Foster: MLB looking for reason to flee Tampa Bay
Not only do MLB owners want to see the Tampa Bay Rays leave Tropicana Field, they want to see the team leave Tampa Bay completely, according to outgoing St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster. As mayor, Foster led a dogged fight to ensure the Rays play out their entire lease at Tropicana Field, which runs through […]
Residents: Let Rays buy out Trop lease, move to Tampa
A plurality of St. Petersburg residents are willing to let the Tampa Bay Rays buy out their Tropicana Field lease and pursue a new ballpark anywhere in the Tampa Bay area. This was released in a poll released this morning. The poll, conducted on behalf of the Tampa Bay Times, Bay New 9 and WUSF […]
St. Pete mayor: Talks with Rays going poorly
St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster, tied up in a tight reelection battle, says talks between his office and the Tampa Bay Rays over Tropicana Field lease are not going well — and blames MLB for the impasse. In a report to the City Council, Foster took aim at the commissioner’s office as he declared talks […]
Feeding frenzy begins on siting potential Rays ballpark
The Tampa Bay Rays haven’t even received permission to explore new-ballpark sites in the region, but some Hillsborough County officials are pushing alternative sites to a downtown Tampa location. Hillsborough County Commissioner Victor Crist is already pushing a new ballpark at the former Tampa Greyhound Track site off I-275, which could also include a new […]
Negotiations begin: Tampa asks for at least $200M from Rays for new ballpark
After years of relative inactivity, things are moving on a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, with Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn launching things publicly with a stance that the Rays put up a third of the cost of a new $600 million ballpark. From the Tampa Tribune: Buckhorn and Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan held […]
St. Pete mayor relents on Rays lease; Tampa moves to woo team
With St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster finally facing reality and softening his stance on a move of the Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa officials are already prepping a game plan to lure the franchise across the bay. In the middle of a tough reelection campaign, the hardnosed Foster — who has insisted from Day One that […]
Hillsborough County ready to talk new Rays ballpark
If the Tampa Bay Rays can extract a concession from St. Pete to look at new-ballpark sites in the region, Hillsborough County is ready to talk about a new downtown Tampa facility. The Rays and St. Petersburg officials met Wednesday to discuss a change in the Tropicana Field lease that would allow the Rays to […]
Downtown tax for new Rays ballpark looking iffy
If a new downtown Tampa ballpark is to happen, it probably won’t happen with the help of downtown property taxes, as politicos eye alternative uses of the proceeds of a TIF district. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn and his staff have held out the possibility of using the proceeds of a downtown TIF, Downtown Tampa Community Redevelopment […]
Study: New Rays ballpark shouldn’t require new taxes
Neither Tampa nor St. Petersburg holds an advantage when it comes to funding a new Tampa Ray Rays ballpark, as a study indicates existing revenue streams in both cities could be tapped without residents facing a tax increase. The Baseball Stadium Finance Caucus, a joint effort of the St. Petersburg and Tampa chambers of commerce, […]
Foster: We won’t allow Rays to talk new ballpark in Tampa
St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster shot down a proposal by the Tampa Bay Rays to explore new-ballpark sites in Tampa, arguing that if the Rays are allowed to shop around, they could end up leaving the region. Now, the Rays ownership have shown absolutely no interest in leaving Tampa Bay, and there are no cities […]
Experts: St. Pete should worry about making Rays deal now, not damages down the road
Instead of being obsessed about laying the groundwork for damages should the Tampa Bay Rays leave the Trop, St. Pete officials should be concerned more about making a deal to keep the team in town, say experts. It’s fair to say St. Petersburg has been defensive in its dealing with the Rays about the Trop: […]
St. Pete ratchets up legal threats over new Rays ballpark
Just when it appears there’s some movement on a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, St. Petersburg officials step in to throw cold water on the proceedings, threatening to sue anyone who pitches the team on a new facility. The legal threat comes from St. Petersburg City Attorney John Wolfe, sent directly to Hillsborough County attorneys […]