TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Crist, MLB Support New Rays Stadium
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Published: April 9, 2008
ST. PETERSBURG - As the Rays opened their home schedule on Tuesday, Major League Baseball president Bob Dupuy joined Florida Gov. Charlie Crist in support of the team's proposal to build a $450 million waterfront stadium by 2012.
"Well, I'd love to see them be able to do it," said Crist, who threw a ceremonial first pitch before the Rays played the Mariners. "It's a great idea. Having a stadium on the waterfront in a state like Florida makes great sense. It's beautiful in San Francisco, the way they're set up there. And that the team is willing to contribute so much toward it, I think is wonderful."
The Rays have said they will contribute $150 million toward construction. The plan also would include development of the 86-acre Tropicana Field site after the current stadium is demolished.
Three developers have submitted bids to either purchase or lease the land, where they would build a mixed-use development for $773 million to $1.2 billion. Dupuy, second only to Commissioner Bud Selig in baseball's hierarchy, cited the claims that the new development would produce thousands of jobs and millions of tax dollars as a strong argument in favor of the plan.
"You know, the city of St. Petersburg is leaving a lot of money on the table in terms of sales tax and such, because there are no comparable commercial developments and they have to go across to the malls around Tampa International Airport," Dupuy said. "I'd like to see some of that happen here and see the community grow from the ballpark site at Al Lang Field out to this development site."
Critics have cited environmental concerns, from potential damage to the waterfront ecosystem to potential cleanup costs associated with the current Tropicana Field site.
Also, the three bids under consideration by the city - $61 million by Nashville, Tenn.-based Williams Quarter, which includes Tampa-based DeBartolo Holdings; $50 million by Houston-based Hines Interests; and a 98-year lease for $1-2 million annually by Alexandria, Va.-based Archstone-Madison - combined with the money promised by the team do not appear to cover the projected cost of the new stadium.
St. Petersburg mayor Rick Baker is expected to receive a recommendation on the bids by April 23. The Rays are expected to submit a financial plan to the city by June 5, when a referendum for November will be considered.
Dupuy said he "always has liked" watching games at Tropicana Field, and was impressed with the upgrades the building has received since principal owner Stuart Sternberg took over three years ago. But Dupuy indicated the Rays won't be able to compete long term as long as they play at the Trop.
"I think when you see what's happened in other communities," Dupuy said, "and you see what's happened in attendance, you see what's happened in enthusiasm and you see what's happened in the community, I think it's important to get that type of ballpark here."
Dupuy also said he admired the way the organization has constructed its major-league team, but he cautioned that it might take a new stadium to sustain any success the Rays might experience in the coming years.
"They're doing it with young talent that hopefully they'll be able to retain," Dupuy said. "And the way you retain them is to have a ballpark that generates enough revenue."
Reporter Carter Gaddis can be reached at (813) 259-8291 or
Reporter Carter Gaddis can be reached at (813) 259-8291 or igaddis@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( masterzvoice ) on April 9, 2008 at 2:41 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
My God, even the top brass in Major League Baseball do not understand that what brings people to the games is a winning team.
They still fill Yankee Stadium as old as it is because they so often have a winning team.
On the other hand these clowns do know this but are lying through their lips to help yet another owner screw the public.
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Posted by ( mywhite37 ) on April 9, 2008 at 6:27 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
WOW Crist how soon did you forget, We are scrapped for money her in Florida. How about using these millions to build houses for the homeless and the veterans who ran from bullets and not to get a ball in the air. Since they are giving out stimulus payments from IRS maybe Crist can give us a gas card instead of promoting a new stadium with my MONEY. I am tired of all this unnecessay spending and yes my taxes was $3000 dollars in 2007. I hope we will not see Crist on any ballot for Vice President this man has literally LOST HIS MIND.
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Posted by ( NB ) on April 9, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Ignorant or stupid? Either answer is an unacceptable excuse for our governor's statements in favor of the Ray's stadium. Wake up Charlie, the Rays's are contributing almost nothing in the deal; the burden is on the tax base. Why is corporate welfare expanding when we can't aford education, social services, infrastructure, etc?
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Posted by ( masterzvoice ) on April 9, 2008 at 10 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Well I guess TBO.com is party to the rape of the citizenry in the area.
I posted a strong comment against the this insane project to build yet another stadium for the Ray's (when we have a state of the art facility right now that is air conditioned and only 1/3 paid for).
I read it after I posted it in the wee hours last night and this morning it is already gone.
It is the same article not a fresh one and mine was the first post.
Come on TBO ... quit playing politics with your readers just because you think this stance will get you more advertising revenue. It won't.
You also lose your credibility.
Also, if you yank posts just because a hired by the Rays owners complainer files a report against a poster, then you are really falling for it.
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Posted by ( masterzvoice ) on April 9, 2008 at 10:10 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Well, I see suddenly my earlier post is back online. Good for you TBO.
We also have learned today that Gov. Charlie Christ is what some of us thought, a CLOSET LIBERAL.
He supports McCain, another closet liberal globalist with a foul mouth.
And Christ now is pushing for a new and completely uneeded stadium on the waterfront in Saint Petersburg.
My God, the concept should be outlawed and these government clowns should be arrested as terrorists.
Just the potential for Encephalitis due to mosquito bites during a game in this swamp in the summer is reason enough to expose the absurdity of this entire idea.
KEEP the AIR CONDITIONED Sate of the Art Tropicana Field. It's one of the best facilities in Major League Baseball.
They should change the name though and call it the Tropican Lightning Dome. There is no way anyone can tied up that domain name except Tropicana. It has always been and will always be 'the Lightning Dome".
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