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 […]
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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 […]
Sternberg: No plans to move Rays
Though he thinks Montreal would be a fine MLB market down the road, Tampa Bay Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg says there are no plans to move the franchise anywhere, as his focus remains on a new Tampa Bay ballpark. Sternberg has been a mighty patient man when it comes to the issue of a […]
Politico: Let Rays look throughout region for new ballpark after paying fee
A St. Petersburg City Council member says the Tampa Bay Rays should be allowed to talk to other cities in the region about a new ballpark — but only after paying a $1.4 million fee, and without assurances the current Tropicana Field lease could be ended. The fee wouldn’t allow the Rays to leave the […]
Sternberg: MLB doesn’t believe in Tampa Bay
At some point this was bound to happen: Today Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg told the Hillsborough County Commission that “Major League Baseball at this point no longer believes in the Tampa Bay area.” Sternberg was invited to speak to the county commission on the subject of the team’s future — a future partly […]
Rays ballpark proposal at Carillon Business Park withdrawn by developer
Developer Darryl LeClair threw a monkey wrench into planning for a Tampa Bay Rays ballpark by taking a proposal at St. Pete’s Carillon Business Park off the table. Indeed, it’s only been a few months since LeClair unveiled renderings of a unique ballpark to be located in northern St. Petersburg, a facility set amongst Mediterranean […]
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, […]
Poll: St. Pete voters opposed to public financing of new Rays ballpark
We’re not sure this will change the dynamics of the discussions, but it’s worth noting: a poll of St. Petersburg voters showed heavy opposition to any public financing of a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark. The poll, from StPetePolls.com, called 1,424 registered voters on Nov. 12 to gauge attitudes on a variety of issues in […]
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 […]
Is a business park the best place for a Rays ballpark?
As the debate continues over a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, real-estate experts say a business park with limited parking may not be the best location. Developer Darryl LeClair has pitched the city and the Rays on a unique plan to nestle a ballpark in the middle of a commercial development, Carillon Business Park. The […]