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4th Stadium Option Cited
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Supporters and foes of the Tampa Bay Rays' downtown stadium proposal can sound off again at a public hearing tonight.
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Published: April 10, 2008
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ST. PETERSBURG - Supporters and foes of the Tampa Bay Rays' downtown stadium proposal can sound off again Thursday at a public hearing, where three redevelopment proposals for Tropicana Field are expected to draw much of the comment.
Some stadium critics, however, say there is a fourth option that city leaders have ignored: Let the city, which owns the rights to redevelop most of Tropicana Field, do the work itself so St. Petersburg can share more equally in proceeds from the project.
"Why hasn't anyone from city staff or the city attorney's office informed council of this option?" said former city council member Kathleen Ford, a critic of the $450 million open-air waterfront stadium the Rays want to build by 2012.
The city's response: That's a question for another day.
"The opportunity is there," said Dave Goodwin, St. Petersburg economic development director. "It is an option, but it's not before us now."
A key component of the Rays' plan is raising money for a new stadium complex by selling and redeveloping the old one - 86 acres consisting mostly of parking lots. The new stadium, on the downtown waterfront, would rely on existing parking areas.
Rays Set June 5 Deadline
Goodwin denied contentions that council members have been left in the dark about the option of having the city direct the redevelopment and reap more of the proceeds.
"Everybody knows about it," he said. "So it's in the back of everybody's mind about that possibility in the future."
Since the first public hearing Feb. 21, the city has received proposals from three national developers to transform the 86-acre Tropicana site into a mixed-use project. A fourth proposal would generate the most cash for a new stadium but it was submitted after the deadline.
Thursday's hearing is at 6 p.m. at city hall. A final hearing is set for May 22.
The Rays have asked the council to decide by June 5 whether to authorize a referendum in November on a new ballpark at Progress Energy Park, home of Al Lang Field.
City Development Administrator Rick Mussett pointed out that the Rays came forward with a proposal that makes no provision for the team continuing to play at Tropicana Field.
The ability to exercise its jurisdiction for the parking lots is a provision of the city's existing agreement with the team, an agreement that envisions Tropicana as the Rays stadium for 20 years out.
The 1995 agreement allowing the Rays to use the publicly owned domed stadium says the team must sign off on any development there, Mussett said. It's unlikely the team would agree to city development while sticking to its new stadium proposal.
What's more, the current agreement requires the city to replace any surface lots lost to redevelopment, he said.
"At somewhere between $12,000 and $14,000 a space, that could get very expensive," Mussett said.
Tropicana Field has about 7,000 on-site parking spaces, so replacing them would cost nearly $10 million.
'Only One' Proposal
Under the current agreement, the city would be reimbursed for that cost from the proceeds of developing the lots. Any proceeds left over once costs are figured in would be split equally between the city and the team.
Ford and other critics contend the Rays are trying to change the current agreement so the team would get all the proceeds plus the property tax revenue from homes and businesses at a redeveloped Tropicana site.
Ford favors keeping Tropicana Field and building new garages for fans if the city is interested in generating revenue through parking lot development. This is an option used at other stadiums across the country.
Mussett said the city development option may be considered if the Rays' stadium proposal fails to get on November's ballot or is defeated at the polls.
"There are 20 years left on the Tropicana Field use agreement," Mussett said. "And if for some reason this proposal doesn't go forward or doesn't get approved, any conceivable option may be on the table.
"But there's only one in front of us right now, and that's the one the Rays have given us."
Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com.
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Reader Comments
Posted by ( bleuzman ) on April 10, 2008 at 12:54 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Seriously I couldn't care less. As a matter of fact I hope the entire deal falls through and the Rays head for the hills. I mean they're another professional (applied loosely here) team with their hand out. I used to be a rabid sports fan but now I'm tired of the owners holding us up for new stadiums and then raising ticket prices to pay the prima dona players. Hit the road Devil Rays and maybe that New York owner will be able to find someplace else he can ravage and ruin, but for heavens sake leave us alone.
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Posted by ( floridanative ) on April 10, 2008 at 1:07 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I still dont see why they dont build the new stadium and bus people in on game days. Set up remote lots up 4th street, down just off the Skyway and right off 275 and run shuttles day of the game. That way there wouldnt need to be more spaces built downtown for a couple days out of the year.
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Posted by ( DennyPCrane ) on April 10, 2008 at 5:28 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
bleuzman, the difference between the owner of the Rays and George Steirbrenner is Steinbrenner has never once asked for public funds to be used for his stadiums either here or in the Bronx wheras the Rays continually have their hand out and expect the public to fund them whilst most of the money goes into the owner's pockets. Steinbrenner is also a well known philantropist. Do you ever see the Rays giving money to charaty? I think not.
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Posted by ( Garbanzo ) on April 10, 2008 at 7:20 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Why do they continually make such ridiculous decisions over in St. Pete? Are they really that desperate? That level of desperation is exactly why they are having to build ANOTHER stadium just 20 years after building the first one. Remember that fiasco? What a mess. BRING THE TEAM OVER TO TAMPA!!
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Posted by ( JackNelsonSteward ) on April 10, 2008 at 9:16 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
I got another option:
How about the Rays, being a private company, go out and get themselves the money and then buy whatever land they want and then they build themselves a stadium?
Whaddyasay?
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Posted by ( chaaalie ) on April 10, 2008 at 10:05 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Wow. Don't let the facts get in your way here, fellow commenters.
So, can anyone here explain how the Rays have their hands out here? Answer: all they have asked for is votes ...
They have proposed a deal that would not really cost the city any money. And in time, it would likely generate positivr revenue.
They want to use the revenue generated from the redevlopment of the Trop site to cover much of the stadiumcost ... plus $150m of their own cash, plus a promise to cover cost overruns.
Here's the rub. The current tax revenue off of Tropicana Field is $0, and will remain that for at least another 20 years. With redevelopment, that ends ... and whatever ends up there pays taxes. And once the stadium is paid for, it goes to the city. (If it is retail, a portion of the sales tax will go to the city and county immediately.)
The site of Al Lang also generates no tax income -- in fact, the city may actually be paying taxes on that right now -- unless they have transferred it to the county as well.
The only other concession asked for is the very common sales tax exemption from the state, that allows the Rays to use the sales tax generated at the stadium to offset costs. (The Bucs, Yankees etc all get this as well.)
All in all, this is a pretty good deal for the city. The only real question for them is does the city want the new stadium and a huge new development west of downtown? or do they want something else?
Also, Denny, You are usually right, but not here. The Rays and their partners give more than a million dollars a year to non-profits, through grants and opportunities to raise money at games.
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Posted by ( RaysMike ) on April 10, 2008 at 12:25 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Uh... Denny.. Didn't the City of New York and the MTA have to fork over $100 million to build a new Metro-North stop by Yankee Stadium? Doesn't the city have to pay for new "infrastructure?" Didn't George threaten to move the Yankees to New Jersey??
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