News :: Opinion
Rays Make Good Call On Ballpark
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Published: June 27, 2008
The Tampa Bay Rays were right to recognize the time wasn't right to push ahead on their proposal to build a waterfront ballpark in St. Petersburg.
The team's announcement Wednesday that it was shelving its $450 million proposal, withdrawing its request for a citywide referendum in November and willing to look at other sites will increase the chances of a new ballpark becoming a reality.
City and Pinellas County officials and many citizens rightly questioned why the organization seemed to be in such a rush for a fall referendum on whether to convert the site of Al Lang Field into a ballpark with a retractable, sail-like roof and unique cooling features. After all, it was only last November that the Rays unveiled their proposal, which also calls for redeveloping the site of Tropicana Field into a complex that would include stores, restaurants, residences and offices.
A year is not much time for public officials and voters to decide whether to commit hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenues to the project.
Now the Rays seem to understand winning support involves more than offering it an appealing development plan. The process must involve the public.
It is encouraging a community coalition, headed by Jeff Lyash, chief executive of Progress Energy, will be formed and consider other possible locations for a new ballpark.
This is an important commitment. The Rays' request for a new ballpark isn't being rebuffed, and the business community - which has been largely silent during the current debate - will have a say. In addition, the need for more corporate support of the Rays will be addressed.
The Rays probably should have taken this approach to begin with.
The biggest issue is the site of a new ballpark, which will determine how long Major League Baseball remains in St. Petersburg.
Every effort should be made to find a location in the city, which landed a team after years of determined work and has a legally binding lease with the Rays until 2027. The Gateway area, where Wednesday's announcement was made, is an attractive and thriving financial district. But the Al Lang site still should be considered, and the bayfront land on which Albert Whitted Airport sits should not be ruled out.
The sprawling Trop isn't a good venue for Major League Baseball. Rays' principal owner Stuart Sternberg says the team needs another ballpark to survive financially, and Commissioner of Baseball Bud Selig echoes that. Both need to do a better job explaining to elected officials and the community why that's the case.
It's in the best interests of the city, county and community to work with the Rays to build another ballpark and put the Trop site to better economical use. No one should be naïve about the baseball business. The Rays won't remain in St. Petersburg if they see only an outdated dome in their future.
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