ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The temperature of the discussion surrounding the deal for a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium is heating up, as the time to keep it and the massive redevelopment proposal alive ticks down.
Is it in jeopardy? Yes.
Is it dead? Depends on who you ask.
According to a letter from the Rays, they are inferring the deal is no longer working out. On the other hand, Pinellas County and St. Petersburg city leaders don’t view it that way, with major decisions still on the horizon.
On Tuesday, Pinellas County Commissioners again delayed a vote on the more than $312 million bonds needed to fund their portion of the stadium project, just hours after receiving a letter from Rays team leaders, who say the county’s “failures” have “jeopardized” the deal as it stands, and they’ve halted all work on the redevelopment project.
In the same letter, Tampa Bay Rays Co-Presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman said the delay pushed back the timeline of ballpark delivery by at least a year, which “would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone.”
Commissioners who were already miffed by a lack of communication, were also upset by a statement from Rays Owner Stu Sternberg who recently implied they lost the county as a partner. On top of that, they were critical of the tone and timing of the new letter just before the crucial meeting.
“I think the Rays strategy sucks to be perfectly honest with you, I think it has for quite some time. They are horrible communicators, and I think they are the most politically tone-deaf organization I have ever met in my life,” Pinellas County Commissioner Brian Scott said.
Scott says he still supports and is in favor of the deal, calling it transformational for the county, but questions the Rays' motives.
“They were trying to put pressure on us to pass it today. Hey, could be angling to renegotiate, or they may want out. I mean, I don't know which one of those three it is, but I don't want, if this fails, I don't want this to be on our heads,” Scott added. “I want it to be firmly on Stu Sternberg’s head if it fails. And I don't want it to.”
Commissioners say despite the Rays’ words, they believe they legally can take their time before ultimately deciding on the bonds.
“Delaying now two votes after a hurricane, I don't think that that, you know, kills anything,” said Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala, who’s been opposed to the deal.
So at the county level, it’s ultimately going to come down to the votes. Since the board agreed to move forward on the project in July, two new commissioners have changed the math, to this point. What they ultimately decide in December, is up in the air.
After the county meeting, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, one of the architects of the redevelopment deal said, “We believe the economic fundamentals, and the long-term benefits of the agreements approved in July by all parties, remain valid,” Welch wrote in the statement, while emphasizing the importance of partnership, adding “Partnership has always been key to this plan, and the success of the plan going forward largely depends on the commitment of our partners to those agreements.”
The city has its own crucial votes scheduled for Thursday to fund the possible future home for the Rays and whether to repair Tropicana Field. Estimates show that repairing the Trop in time for 2026 could cost upwards of $56 million. Mayor Welch says the majority of it will likely be paid for by Insurance and FEMA reimbursements.
The Rays will play next season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.