Parking already plagues new Rays stadium, report says
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Rendering: Courtesy of Tampa Bay Rays
Negotiations for a new Rays stadium at Hillsborough College have hit a snag that won't surprise anyone who has attended a game or concert in Tampa Bay: parking.
Why it matters: The Tampa Sports Authority, which relies on the college's lots for Buccaneers games, concerts and events, hasn't received clarity from the Rays about how a new ballpark would disrupt that arrangement.
- Emails obtained by the Tampa Bay Business Journal reveal a tense back-and-forth between Sports Authority leadership and the Rays, who have offered few details about how they intend to address the issue.
Driving the news: The questions about parking come as the Sports Authority has commissioned two studies on the economic impact of the team's proposed stadium and mixed-use district.
- Eric Hart, CEO of the Sports Authority, wrote in an email that he had requested "multiple times" that specific items from the Rays be provided to contractors working on the analyses, per the Business Journal.
- Earlier this month, a contractor told the Sports Authority that changes the Rays had made to the design of the ballpark's roof would alter the analysis and that more information from the team was requested.
Zoom in: Hart wants to know which parking lots the Sports Authority will be able to access and whether any existing agreements or rates will change.
- He stressed that such information is "critical" because Hillsborough College is central to the Sports Authority's parking plan, and its annual budget will depend on available parking.
- The college has gone mum on the issue. Rays CEO Ken Babby, however, said the team intends to "accommodate and maintain existing parking commitments and agreements," per the Business Journal.
What's next: The economic analyses commissioned by the Sports Authority are supposed to be released this month.
- Whether they will is anyone's guess.