The St. Petersburg City Council on Thursday voted in favor of approving bonds to fund the brand new Tampa Bay Rays stadium within the Historic Gas Plant District. After weeks of stalled momentum to maneuver ahead with a deal already accredited in July, the council’s determination places the onus on the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, who will vote to approve funding on Dec. 17.
After a lot deliberation among the many council members and residents who spoke in the course of the open dialogue, the vote was 4-3 in favor. Council member Gina Driscoll indicated her assist forward of the vote, saying that the Rays hadn’t despatched a termination letter. “They’re nonetheless in, and so am I,” she stated, basically assuring the vote would cross.
The Rays have beforehand indicated that the deal is all however lifeless, citing elevated prices related to the delay in approving the bonds. Council member Brandi Gabbard, who voted sure, stated approving the bonds was successfully calling the Rays’ bluff by forcing them to stick to the preliminary deal, as a substitute of making an attempt to restructure it.
“We want to maneuver this ahead, as a result of fairly frankly, I feel we’re calling their bluff by doing so,” Gabbard stated earlier than the vote. “We put it on the market, we’re in. We’re a associate on this. Hopefully, the county will comply with swimsuit.
“And then will probably be as much as the Rays to determine. It might be as much as them to return to their companions — return and discover different funding. And then once they can’t carry out, it’ll be as much as them to come back again and say they’ll’t.”
Mayor Ken Welch spoke to the town council earlier than the vote, urging members to approve the bonds. He stated he met with the Rays and group proprietor Stu Sternberg earlier within the week. He stated the consensus from that assembly was that the July settlement on the brand new stadium was nonetheless in impact.
The Pinellas County commissioners have twice delayed a vote on approving funding for the brand new stadium. Hurricane Milton ravaged the Tampa-St. Pete space on Oct. 10, making the Ray’s Tropicana Field venue unplayable in 2025. The Rays will as a substitute play at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa subsequent season, with an absence of readability on their future past subsequent season.
A injury evaluation report launched in November estimated that it will value greater than $55.7 million to repair Tropicana Field for the beginning of the 2026 season.
Speakers in attendance had been cut up on whether or not or not the council ought to approve the bonds.
The Rays weren’t in attendance on the assembly. Council member Lisset Hanewicz famous their absence, stating that companions speaking by way of letters — because the Rays have — is an indicator of a nasty partnership. City administrator Rob Gerdes later clarified that the Rays provided to attend, however had been informed it was not vital.
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(Photo: Joe Raedle / Getty Images)
