As published in the Tampa Bay Times, 01/03/25
Isn’t it time for the Rays to move on?
The Tampa Bay Rays are blaming a 21-day pause by the Pinellas County Commission for massive cost overruns and a year-long delay in completing their proposed new stadium. On Oct. 29, the county deferred a vote on stadium bonds to pay for its share of a new stadium. But on Nov. 18, just 21 days later, the team wrote a letter to the county claiming that this brief delay caused construction costs to skyrocket and made it impossible to finish the stadium before 2029. Despite their agreement requiring them to cover cost overruns, the Rays are now asking the city and county to help “fill the gap.”
Let’s be clear: This excuse doesn’t hold up. No one believes that a 21-day delay would dramatically cause construction costs to rise.
Instead of taking responsibility and contacting county commissioners before Oct. 29 and telling them to hold off on the foundering deal, Rays owner Stuart Sternberg had his team write letters blaming the county and suggesting taxpayers help fix the problem.
But maybe the real issue isn’t just the Rays. Maybe the deal itself was flawed from the start.
Think about it:
- Wrong location: For 27 years, the stadium location has produced some of the lowest attendance in Major League Baseball despite the Rays’ recent success on the field.
- Poor accessibility: Downtown St. Petersburg is hard to reach from Tampa, the surrounding areas, and Bradenton/Sarasota due to chronic bridge and highway congestion, especially around most game times. Even this baseball fan and long-time resident of St. Pete must admit the Rays and St. Pete would be better off if the team had ended up in Tampa.
- Parking challenges: The new stadium site requires the construction of new parking garages, which will create long delays for fans traveling to and from the stadium.
- Giant giveaway: The Rays got a sweetheart deal that includes the development rights to about 64 acres around the new stadium, and yet the team has said it still can’t make the finances work.
Over the last three decades, St. Petersburg has evolved into something much bigger than a one-sport town, and as a result, baseball is clearly not the highest and best use for this prime development land. St. Pete is a vibrant city where people love to live, work and play. It’s walkable, attractive and thriving with cultural gems like the Dali Museum, the Pier and a robust restaurant scene. Why not continue building on what makes St. Pete special instead of forcing a stadium that doesn’t fit?
Imagine using this valuable property to expand St. Pete’s cultural and economic growth. Virtually any other type of commercial development will create more economic activity and career opportunities than a baseball stadium.
The money the city and county intend to spend on a new stadium that the Rays admit they can’t afford could be better spent elsewhere. For Pinellas County, that means repairing its beaches, preparing for future hurricane recovery, and using its tourist development tax to promote what truly brings visitors to the area. As we know and as pointed out by Visit St. Pete/Clearwater, people come to Pinellas for its beaches, its unique cultural attractions, and its overall charm — not so much for baseball.
For St. Petersburg, moving on means paying for $5 billion of sewer and storm water repairs to stop the flooding and keep our toilets working when the next hurricane comes along. It also means money for affordable housing, education and meeting the mayor’s commitment to the Black community.
I’d love to see the Rays stay in the Tampa Bay area. Every stakeholder from both sides of Tampa Bay should continue to explore how the team can play in Tampa. Yes, Tampa had a shot at landing the Rays already. But Tampa clearly remains the best place for the Rays. The metro area – the whole metro area – should pull together to make that happen.
The Rays have had 27 years to make baseball sustainable in St. Petersburg. That experiment failed. And now, instead of taking responsibility for their financial challenges, Rays officials continue to blame the county and city for problems of their own making. Just a few months ago, the Rays signed the contract knowing the team was responsible for cost overruns.
The Rays say they cannot afford the new stadium, and the city and county can’t afford to pay more. Isn’t it time to move on? Let the team negotiate some more with Tampa and let St. Pete continue its transformation into one of Florida’s most vibrant and walkable cities. Sometimes, moving on is the best decision for everyone.
Ron Diner is the former president of Raymond James Affordable Housing, the leading provider of equity for affordable housing nationwide. He also co-founded Pinellas County schools’ lunchtime mentoring program, Lunch Pals, and is a mentor at Lakewood Elementary School. He has written extensively about the proposed stadium deal on homerunsmatter.com.
