Thrive
‘Minor issues’ postpone final Rays stadium vote, workshop
The St. Petersburg City Council will no longer receive final documents regarding a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and the surrounding Historic Gas Plant District’s redevelopment amid a scheduled break.
Several council members recently expressed concern over the administratively-set timeline. They now have an additional week before voting on the $6.5 billion mega-project, anchored by a $1.37 billion ballpark.
However, it wasn’t a council member who requested the postponement. Administrator Rob Gerdes announced the need for another delay, according to a Thursday afternoon email obtained by the Catalyst.
“As we have discussed together, we have come to the time when the final documents for the Historic Gas Plant must be ready to move forward, and the City Attorney’s Office must have adequate time for a final, thorough review,” Gerdes wrote. “At this point, we have a few relatively minor issues to finalize, and other documents are undergoing their final review.
“As such, we will not be submitting the documents for the July 11th City Council meeting.”
In what was likely a bellwether for final agreements, councilmembers approved multiple foundational measures by a 5-3 vote at a June 13 first reading and public hearing. Those included extending the Intown Redevelopment Area’s lifespan to help pay for city subsidies, increasing site zoning allowances and establishing land use agreements with the Rays and Hines development team.
The preliminary votes occurred the day before the council’s 22-day annual summer break. The council initially scheduled a second and final public hearing July 11.
Gerdes also planned to provide documents revised since or missing from previous project workshops Thursday – two weeks before the July 11 meeting. Councilmember Lisset Hanewicz noted that she and her colleagues were “making decisions based on drafts” at the June 13 meeting.
Administrators scheduled a third workshop for July 9. City spokesperson Alizza Punzalan-Randle confirmed the new date is Tuesday, July 16, at 9 a.m.
“City, county and Rays staff have worked diligently to complete the multiple agreements related to the development and stadium – and to address questions discussed at previous Committee of the Whole meetings,” she said in a prepared statement. “Moving the dates is necessary to provide a comprehensive set of agreements for the discussion and vote.”
Administrators plan to provide council members with completed documents by July 5. Final votes – once set for “early 2024” – should occur July 18.
Gerdes previously called that date a “backup plan.” However, the zoning changes require a 30-day public notice, and he wrote that the second public hearing “will be scheduled for August.”
A project housing grant?
His email also notes that state officials have moved the deadline to apply for “Large Scale Regional Impact” affordable housing grants from July 17 to July 31. The initiative enables corporations to receive dollar-for-dollar tax credits for contributions to the Florida Housing Finance Corporation.
The organization opened a competitive application process in January, and corporate contributors can receive up to $25 million for “transformational developments.” The state defines Developments of Regional Impact as projects that produce a “substantial effect upon the health, safety or welfare of citizens of more than one county” due to its “character, magnitude or location.”
“We are working through potential challenges to an application by Hines/Rays but will continue to work diligently in the hopes of pursuing this grant opportunity,” Gerdes wrote.
From left: City Administrator Rob Gerdes, Mayor Ken Welch and Rays co-presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman at a press conference announcing the Rays are “here to stay” in September 2023. Photo by Mark Parker.
With the council’s approval, the city will finance most of its $287.5 million contribution through a tax-exempt bond issuance, which it will repay through IRA revenue generated by increasing downtown property values. It would also allocate $142 million for surrounding infrastructure.
Pinellas County would spend $312.5 million in tourism tax dollars and own the stadium site. Gerdes has previously said he expects the commission to vote on the project by the end of July.
At the June 12 workshop, Welch noted that the city is picking up just 21% of the bill, the county 23% and the Rays will cover the remaining 56% and any cost overruns. “I think the case that this makes for moving our community forward is strong enough that it should earn every vote,” he said after the meeting.
Steven Brady
June 30, 2024at4:45 am
Karyn has it right.
One of the council members who is soon going to be voting on this issue gave a presentation to our homeowners association several weeks ago. At his house he has a Rays flag. I know this because I happen to know where he lives And to this meeting he wore a Rays shirt.
Talk about an appearance of impropriety… this person’s going to be voting on what I suspect will be the most expensive public works project in the city’s history. And he should be theoretically trying to get the best deal possible. And he makes it no secret in whose camp he is. I wasn’t the only person who noticed his tone deafness.
I don’t know anyone who watches baseball. Let alone goes to the games. By all accounts I understand it’s a TV sport now.
During this homeowners meeting he claimed that 1.4 million people came to the games.
And therefore visited St. Petersburg was the implication.
Although when I asked, he didn’t know how many of those supposed 1.4 million visits were people who live here already. Which is a jaw dropping lack of knowledge when you think about it.
Regarding the 1.4 million visits?
I don’t believe this for a second. And neither should you. It’s junk numbers from conflicted “experts.” Made up to support a very profitable for profit agenda.
No one stays in an area or moves there because of a professional sports team. People don’t do that. And neither do companies. Not ever. You don’t know anyone who’s done this either. Think about it in your own life. If somebody told you that they had done that you would think them crazy or a fool. For good reason.
The whole premise is a giant myth to bankroll private companies who are feeding from the taxpayer trough.
And regarding not having the numbers to back up estimates and hoping for the best? That’s criminal malfeasance. The ugliest of policy decisions. Especially with the numbers as enormous as those being discussed.
If you aren’t sure you don’t do it end of story.
Tom Tito
June 29, 2024at4:15 pm
You present the Rays numbers as if they were true.
Readers can go to NoHomeRun.com for unbiased information.
Karyn Mueller
June 29, 2024at6:53 am
This project is not about a subsidy for a new baseball team, it’s a scheme to transfer 60 acres of prime real estate to Rays/Hines. Not only are we practically giving it to them for free with their whopping $4 million/year payment on a option to buy with no money down, taxpayers are also paying for the private developer’s infrastructure to the tune of $142,000,000.
Rays/Hines can use the infrastructure funds for due diligence, demolition, remediation and a myriad of other development costs. Rays/Hines won’t pay any infrastructure costs because if they need additional funds, they will get an interest free loan from the City that will repaid by assessing future real estate owners and renters, increasing the costs to occupy the site.
In addition to giving away land and funding a private developer’s infrastructure and development costs, the much bigger problem is the loss of control of the site by transferring all control to the developer. The City can be sued if they fail to provide the infrastructure installments in a timely manner. However, the City cannot sue the developer for defaults and the developer has an endless list of excusable development delays. The developer can immediately flip parcels to unknown parties and borrow against the land they haven’t paid for to finance their other projects.
The city has no rights of terminating the agreement. There is no way to know who we will be partnering with as Rays/Hines can assign the rights to someone else and the City will not be able to vet the party or have any input.
It’s a scary proposition that will end up in issues for residents for the next 30 years with little ability for the city to remedy the issues.
Future City Council will be stuck dealing with the fall out and the current administration will be long gone.
We’ve been told to just trust Rays/Hines and hope for the best. Don’t forget Stu Sternberg just settled a lawsuit from minority business partners who alleged fraudulent dealings and relentless scheming.
The public needs to see through the local developers who have received discounts of public land sales in the past and who are now trying to paint a pretty picture in editorials. The public needs to see through the chamber who continually recruits cheerleaders for this project and listen to the 3 council members desperately trying to get the truth out to the public!
It is the responsibility of the residents to advocate for their interests, we need to all pitch in and take time to email council.
Please reach out to Council and tell them not to give control of public land and assets to a NY and Houston developer! We need the $142,000,000 for our own infrastructure needs! Why are we giving it to an out of state developer when residents are experiencing flooding due to unmet infrastructure needs? Flooding and storms will get worse ever year, we can’t obligate $686,000,000 out of the Intown CRA property taxes for 30 years. We need that money for infrastructure and if we give it away we’ll regret it for decades to come.
Reach out to council today before it’s too late, the vote is currently scheduled for July 16.
Velva Heraty
June 29, 2024at1:19 am
Like Alan said.
Robin Davidov
June 28, 2024at4:50 pm
It’s time to be honest with taxpayers. According to the City’s finance plan the debt service on the City’s share of the bonds is nearly $700 million. In addition $65 million of property taxes which would normally go to the County for schools and other public needs will be diverted to pay stadium debt. According to Councilman Gerdes, the benefit will be $400 million. Do the math. The gas plant land is being given away; no interest and no property taxes paid by Hines for many years. Voters want a better deal and it’s time for five City Council members to listen to us.
Alan DeLisle
June 28, 2024at3:08 pm
Hard to believe that all the supporting arguments are based on a hope that the future will somehow turn out good. I’ll bet on it, said one Council member. Well, you don’t have to bet on anything if you negotiate a good, fair deal for taxpayers. So sad that no one, and I mean no one, can say this is a good deal for the city. It’s a hope and a prayer with Rays/Hines in full control of what they do and when they do it despite getting an absurd amount of city money.
No deal is perfect, the supporters say. That is true. But no deal should be this one sided either, this bad. It defeats the purpose of a successful public-private partnership we’re both parties win.
Disgraceful that 5 “sold out” Council members try to stand behind this mess. And add the Tampa Bay Times. It won’t take long for voters to see the broken promises. Only major changes in this agreement can make a yes vote possible, not minor ones.
It does not have to be this way. The Mayor negotiated a terrible deal. St Pete deserves so much better. Accountability and transparency are grest things. .