Tampa Mayor: Rays Ballpark within Reach

Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn on Thursday told a gathering of hospitality officials that a downtown ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays is within reach, despite challenges that persist.  Buckhorn’s statement followed the election defeat Tuesday of incumbent St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster, who Buckhorn has said was an obstacle to the Rays looking beyond Pinellas County for a new home.  Read more here.

St. Pete Mayor Cracking Door For Rays

St. Petersburg (FL) Mayor Bill Foster is now saying that the Tampa Bay Rays should be allowed to look for a new stadium deal anywhere that will keep the team in the Tampa Bay market.  Read more and view news reports here and here.

Tampa Council Chair Shows Support for St. Pete Mayor

Tampa City Council Chairman Charlie Miranda recently sent St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster‘s re-election campaign a $100 check and a thank you note to Foster for standing firm in enforcing St. Pete’s  stadium contract with the Tampa Bay Rays.  Miranda is an outspoken opponent of using taxpayer funds to build professional sports facilities.  Read more here.

Developer to Hold Ballpark Presentation at Big Venue Sept. 28

By a vote of 6-2, the St. Petersburg City Council gave permission for developer CityScape to make a presentation for a proposed new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays at a Hilton hotel, rather than city hall.  The developer was seeking a bigger venue, as 300 people could be showing up.  The meeting is set for Sept. 28, tentatively at 1:30 p.m.  Read more here.

Rays Will Discuss New Ballpark with Hillsborough County

Despite threats of legal action by St. Petersburg (FL), the Tampa Bay Rays say they will talk with Hillsborough County (FL) as part of a “regional discussion” to ensure the successful future of the Rays in the region.  This, of course, means talking about a new ballpark.  Read more here.

St. Pete, Hillsborough County Disagree About Legal Ramifications of Stadium Talks

Based on the terms of the Tropicana Field lease with the Tampa Bay Rays, St. Petersburg City Attorney John Wolfe says that Hillsborough County (and any other local government) faces a lawsuit if they begin discussions with the team about a new stadium.  Hillsborough disagrees with the legal arguments being made by St. Pete.  Read more here.  Thanks to John Cerone for the link.

Rays’ Concerns Go Beyond New Ballpark

St. Petersburg (FL) Mayor Bill Foster had a two-hour meeting with the Tampa Bay Rays brass on Tuesday to discuss the future of the franchise.  Surprisingly, the biggest takeaway was not the need for a new ballpark, but whether the region can support three professional sports teams.  The Rays will continue to explore all location options for a new stadium, but they want fannies in the seats now.  Read more here.

Back to the Ballpark Table for Rays, St. Pete

We don’t expect any miracles here, but Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg and St. Petersburg (FL) Mayor Bill Foster have a meeting scheduled next Tuesday that could rekindle new ballpark talks.  Read more here and here.