TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online
Rays' Stadium Proposal To Face Additional Scrutiny
ADVERTISEMENT
Published: January 31, 2008
Related Links
ST. PETERSBURG - ST. PETERSBURG - City leaders aren't the only ones scrutinizing the Tampa Bay Rays' downtown stadium proposal.
The St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce announced it is forming a blue-ribbon task force to study the proposed $450 million waterfront ballpark the Rays want to open by 2012.
At the same time, opponents of the stadium proposal are organizing, forming a group called Preserve Our Wallets and Waterfront, or POWW.
The 35-member task force of business and community leaders will evaluate all aspects of the proposal, including financing, traffic, parking and environmental issues, said John T. Long III, the chamber's president.
The panel, with help from stadium consultant PricewaterhouseCoopers, then will make a recommendation to the chamber's board of governors, which will "take a position one way or the other and be very aggressive in supporting that decision," Long said.
The city administration also is evaluating the Rays' proposal to use revenue from the sale and redevelopment of Tropicana Field to pay for most of the cost of a new stadium at the site of Al Lang Field, Home of Progress Energy Park.
The chamber's board decided to create the task force largely because the 2,800-member organization has been asked by many in the community for its position on the new ballpark and redeveloping the 86-acre Tropicana site, Long said.
"This is obviously something the chamber should weigh in on, but we can't do that because we do not have sufficient information,'' Long said. "Making a decision is easy. Making an informed decision is more of a challenge.''
The task force will be co-chaired by former state House speaker Peter Rudy Wallace, Tech Data chief executive Steve Raymond and former St. Petersburg councilman David Welch, Long said. He said the chamber hopes to complete the task by July 1.
The city council, though, is set to decide by June 5 whether to authorize a November referendum on the new stadium.
A representative for the Rays said the team welcomes the scrutiny.
"The chamber's doing what they need to do to inform themselves about the project and we'll cooperate in any way we can,'' said Michael Kalt, the Rays senior vice president of development and business affairs. "Any information we have and they need we'll be happy to share with them.''
Although the chamber is taking a neutral position, Preserve Our Wallets and Waterfront is mustering opposition to the Rays' proposal.
"We have no right to help a private corporation with this kind of corporate welfare by transferring city assets to their control, ownership and tax benefit,'' said Lorraine Margeson, a St. Petersburg community activist who recently formed the group.
She and fellow critic Hal Freedman said Tropicana Field is perfectly adequate and that a new ballpark on the downtown waterfront, which would require filling in part of Tampa Bay, would harm the environment as well as create traffic and parking problems.
"To move it down there, where logistically it's going to create a nightmare on the streets, makes no sense at all,'' Freedman said.
News Channel 8 Reporter Rod Challenger contributed to this report. Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at cmoncada@tampatrib.com or at (727) 451-2333.
Post a comment
(Requires free registration.)
* Keep it clean
* Respect others
* Don't hate
* Don't use language you wouldn't use with your mom
* Use "Report Inappropriate Comments" link when necessary
* See Member Agreement for details
TBO.com - Tampa Bay Online Member Agreement | Privacy Statement | Work With Us
Reader Comments
Posted by ( pwfenton ) on January 31, 2008 at 6:32 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
The Rays' plan is one of the most bizarre ideas I have come across. It makes no sense. There isn't enough parking at the present stadium. If a game comes close to a sellout there is no place to park. I'm guessing there is some other plot behind this. Perhaps to steal the land that the airport is on... where this stadium would actually fit.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Ubermensch ) on January 31, 2008 at 6:38 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Maybe they can make more dock space for everyone to drive their boats up to. It'll accomodate enough people to go to an average Rays game....I'm sure. :)
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( 5thGenTampaBay ) on January 31, 2008 at 8:40 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
lol... task force this, consult that, all under the guise of "protecting tax payer's interest"... please.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( GF ) on January 31, 2008 at 9:12 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
I think they should they should move the stadium about 100 miles due west of it's current location.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Doofy ) on January 31, 2008 at 9:17 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Instead of the fans not going to the old stadium, now they will be able to not go to the new stadium.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( IREADER ) on January 31, 2008 at 10:23 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by ( lolafalala ) on January 31, 2008 at 10:31 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
Save taxpayers money! Pack 'em up and move 'em out of state!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( 5thGenTampaBay ) on January 31, 2008 at 10:32 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
build it... ill go. i like baseball... outdoors!
besides, all ya'll not going... it wont be painfully crowded getting a beer, having a dog, or using the bathroom. and, maybe, i can sit where i want.
hell ya... build that thing!
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( TampaBayTom ) on January 31, 2008 at 10:47 p.m. ( Suggest removal )
If they want to draw a crowd, put the stadium in Tampa not dumpy St. Pete.
Report Inappropriate Comments
Posted by ( Say_So ) on February 1, 2008 at 12:07 a.m. ( Suggest removal )
Boooo Boooooooooooooo Boooooooooo
Report Inappropriate Comments