At times, the ABC Coalition might as well have had the plague - no one seemed to want to touch the civic group.
However, this group, which is recommending the Tampa Bay Rays need a new stadium, finally will get a chance to present its findings to a public body. The ABC Coalition is expected to give a brief presentation to the Pinellas County Commission shortly after 3 p.m. today.
Rick Baker, the former mayor of St. Petersburg, created the ABC Coalition in 2008 to study whether the Rays need a replacement for Tropicana Field. The team is under contract with the city to play there until 2027, but the team has said it can't continue to play there until then.
In recent months, the ABC Coalition has been a political hot potato because it found that two of the three best locations for a potential new ballpark are in Hillsborough County. The three locations are downtown Tampa, Tampa's West Shore area and the mid-Pinellas area just over the Howard Frankland Bridge.
St. Petersburg officials immediately scoffed at the idea of the team moving to Tampa, and the St. Petersburg City Council has declined to meet with the ABC Coalition. Ken Hagan, chairman of the Hillsborough County Commission, sparked some outrage across the bay when he invited the coalition to meet with his board. Hagan has said he is not trying to lure the team to Hillsborough, but just wants to ensure the team stays in the Tampa Bay area.
The Pinellas County Commission is scheduled to hear the group's presentation today but is not expected to engage in any debate or discussion with the coalition.
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