Rays deal, on life support, heads back to Pinellas commission
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A rendering of the new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and redeveloped Historic Gas Plant District. Rendering: Courtesy of Hines/Tampa Bay Rays
Here we go again.
State of play: The Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal that appeared all but dead three weeks ago is back up for a key vote today.
- Pinellas County commissioners are once again weighing whether to approve, deny or — for a third time — delay issuing bonds to finance their end of the historic deal.
Why it matters: After weeks of finger-pointing, blustering and meetings, how commissioners vote will signal whether plans for the $1.3 billion stadium and surrounding redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District are salvageable.
Catch up quick: Team leaders have said repeatedly that county commissioners killed the deal when they first pushed back the bond vote in October while grappling with the aftermath of Hurricane Milton.
- That delay blew up the plans to open the new ballpark in time for the 2028 season, team leaders said in a letter to county commissioners.
- A 2029 opening "would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone," the Rays said. (Per the agreement, the team is responsible for any extra costs that come up over the course of the development.)
Yes, but: The team has yet to formally back out. Thus, the deal lives on, albeit on life support.
Between the lines: For those hoping the plan moves forward, there are perhaps more reasons for optimism heading into today's vote than there have been since the deal took a nosedive.
- After pushing back their own bond vote amid the plan's uncertainty, St. Petersburg City Council members this month narrowly greenlit their portion of the financing.
- Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred, who wants the team to stay in the region, met with county leaders, the Tampa Bay Times reported, although he didn't offer solutions for the Rays' financial woes.
- And team co-president Matt Silverman said last week that he anticipates commissioners to approve the deal, per the Times.
What we're watching: Commissioners Kathleen Peters, Brian Scott and Rene Flowers have supported the deal from the start and will likely continue to do so today. Newly elected commissioner Vince Nowicki is a staunch no.
- The votes to watch are commissioners Chris Latvala and Dave Eggers, both of whom voted against the deal in July, and commissioner Chris Scherer, another newly elected board member and deal skeptic.