Thrive
Why the commission chair wants clarity from Rays
Pinellas County Commission Chairperson Kathleen Peters sent a sternly worded letter to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday requesting written, explicit answers regarding the team’s future by Dec. 1.
Peters told the Catalyst that community stakeholders deserve clarity. She wants the Rays to either honor the long-negotiated funding deal for a $1.37 billion new ballpark or issue a formal termination notice.
The letter came four days after team president Brian Auld told the St. Petersburg City Council that he “can’t continue to move forward based on what I’ve seen from the county.” Peters called that a “misunderstanding” in the aftermath of back-to-back hurricanes Tuesday.
“They (the team) made comments that the county killed the deal, and the county hasn’t killed the deal,” Peters stressed. “Do I think it’s dead? By no means. I just want clarity.”
The Rays sent a letter to county commissioners Nov. 19, just hours before the board voted on a bond issuance to finance their $312.5 million tourism development tax contribution to Tropicana Field’s replacement. The team said the board’s Oct. 29 decision to delay the initial vote negated plans to open a new ballpark for the 2028 season.
Commissioners postponed the vote again, this time until Dec. 17. Auld, at a Nov. 21 council meeting, said the current deal was dead, the Rays could not afford construction delays and city officials should not waste public funding repairing the storm-damaged stadium.
Peters said Tuesday that the Rays would lose over $100 million annually by not playing at the Trop. “I think that the hurricane affected them financially, significantly, just like it’s affecting the city and the county.”
“If they’re serious about staying in the Tampa Bay area, they need to honor the contract,” Peters continued. “We all need to honor the contract, and then we will figure out the financial stuff later.”
Hurricane Milton caused over $55 million in damage to Tropicana Field. Photo: Will Vragovic/Tampa Bay Rays.
Her commission colleagues could not review the letter due to Florida’s public meeting laws and their impending vote on the bond issuance. She discussed it “extensively” with County Administrator Barry Burton and drafted it with a city attorney.
Commissioner Chris Latvala said he agrees “100% with the letter.” He also believes the county has not violated the agreements approved in July.
“My focus continues to remain on helping our community rebuild from back-to-back hurricanes that devastated thousands of homes and businesses,” Latvala said. “I look forward to talking with the Rays at the time of their choosing to work towards a deal worthy of our taxpayers.”
Commissioner Vince Nowicki agreed with the letter admonishing the team for its lack of clear communication. However, he questioned the timing and Sunday deadline for answers amid the Thanksgiving holiday.
Due to the $6.7 billion project’s community benefits requirements, the city will sell the land surrounding the Trop at a steep discount. The council also approved dedicating $287.5 million in non-ad valorem taxes to offset stadium construction costs and $130 million to upgrade a reimagined Historic Gas Plant District’s infrastructure.
Nowicki said the Rays “really ate the city’s lunch” during negotiations. However, when asked if the partners could still complete the deal, he said, “Yeah, absolutely.”
Commissioner Dave Eggers called the letter “really well done” and said it highlighted the board’s surprise over the team’s recent comments. He will discuss the situation with Rays officials in two weeks.
Mayor Ken Welch said he has had “productive and promising” conversations with each commissioner. He also noted Auld “clearly stated that from the Rays’ perspective, there is ‘no deal,’ and they do not intend to move forward” under the previously approved terms.
“The city has asked for a written termination, and I support … Peters’ request for clarity,” Welch said in his prepared statement. “Both the city and county have invested a significant amount of time and resources into the Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment. Our community deserves clarity so that we can chart our path forward.”
The team and its development partner, Hines, would relinquish control of land surrounding the Trop by formally terminating the deal. Peters expressed disbelief over the Rays telling the city not to repair the stadium.
“I don’t think the county should kill the deal and give the land,” she added. “I would like to see this happen based on the contract we all signed. It was a good deal for them (the Rays), a good deal for the county and a good deal for the city.
“And then all of us will figure out the repercussions of the hurricanes.”
A new, $1.37 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark (right) would anchor the Historic Gas Plant District’s $6.7 billion redevelopment. Image provided.
As of noon Tuesday, the Rays have not responded to the letter. Peters said she remains hopeful for a definitive reply.
In a prepared statement, Auld said the team is “eager to work with all partners on a solution for the 2029 season that keeps Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come. As we always have, we will maintain contact with the city and county as we navigate our future.”
Peters said it would take another two years to renegotiate a deal approved less than four months ago. She also noted that the Rays chose to keep all stadium revenues in exchange for covering cost overruns during the 30-year project.
“If they’re truly going to be loyal to the fans and honor the commitment made to residents, they need to move on with the plan and meet their contractual obligations,” Peters said. “All of us affected by these hurricanes have financial situations that have arisen that we didn’t budget for.”
John
December 2, 2024at2:37 pm
County needs to give the Rays the YES/NO Vote before we even know if the Rays will want to move forward or not.
County Commissioners delaying the votes, put us in this place.
S
November 27, 2024at5:18 pm
Mayor Welch and the $500 Taxpayer Surprise—Now with Extra Boondoggle Sauce!
Let’s give a standing ovation to Mayor Welch and his brain trust for their latest masterstroke in fiscal genius: slashing insurance coverage on the TROP from $75 million to $25 million to save $275,000. That’s right—$275,000! That’s barely enough to cover a few months of avocado toast for the city staff. Meanwhile, taxpayers are now staring down the barrel of potentially $50 million in uninsured losses when—oops—natural cost overruns happen.
What does that mean for you, dear taxpayer? A lovely little bill of at least $500 per person. That’s not just a hurricane deductible; that’s a category five wallet storm. And this all happened in the same year the Gulf water temps decided to be hotter than Satan’s Jacuzzi. Bravo!
But it doesn’t stop there, folks. This is the very administration now pushing for a $1.5 billion boondoggle of a new stadium. Let me get this straight: if they can’t even handle a basic insurance policy without detonating the city’s finances, you really think they’re going to stick the landing on $1.5 billion? That’s like handing your toddler a chainsaw and asking them to sculpt a masterpiece.
And here’s the kicker: remember when the original TROP was built? I’m sure back then, they promised it would be a fabulous win for taxpayers and the community. How’d that work out? If memory serves, it took eight years to even get a team to play there. EIGHT YEARS. That’s like buying a racehorse, only to find out it’s a cow and needs a decade of training before it can run—badly.
And did the current TROP, now a glorified hurricane wreck, ever deliver on those pie-in-the-sky promises? Zero chance. Sure, we got the Rays—but has the stadium truly paid back taxpayers in any meaningful way? Doubtful. Instead, it’s been more like a very expensive lemonade stand that forgot to sell lemonade.
So now, here we are, staring at $50 million in uninsured risks, a $1.5 billion stadium on the horizon, and promises that feel eerily familiar. If this administration’s track record is anything to go by, the only thing fabulous about this new stadium will be the size of the bill taxpayers get stuck with. But hey, at least the nachos will still be overpriced!
Alan DeLisle
November 26, 2024at6:33 pm
First they say the deal is off because of the County Commission. Then they told the city to save its Tropicana Field rehab money in a public meeting, embarrassing a Mayor and Council that have given them everything.
When will public officials realize that the Rays will always undercut trust when leveraging for a better deal. They are shameless and many public officials keep playing right into their Wall Street hand.
Can you believe Driscoll actually was thrilled when the Rays ended their blistering statement the other day with “but we will keep trying.” You have got to be kidding me. Stand up for your constituents and stop being a punching bag. When will city officials realize that they have been taken to the cleaners.
I am so proud of Commissioner Nowicki who said the Rays “really ate the city’s lunch.” Finally, the truth is seeping in and around the worse baseball/development deal ever negotiated.
I realize that the lawyers are watching every move on this but the Rays have spoken. Get out now or the Rays will own the city and the county for the next 30 years.
Robert
November 26, 2024at6:11 pm
City of St. Petersburg seems to have kept residents in the dark on how this contract works. New stadium appears to be different contract than HGPD.
A public records request for the contract documents returned 18 responsive documents. Others than myself need to dig into this.
HGPD is a joint venture between Rays Affiliates and Hines Affiliate
STADIUM OPERATING AGREEMENT by and between CITY OF ST. PETERSBURG, FLORIDA and RAYS STADIUM COMPANY, LLC and PINELLAS COUNTY
18 documents.
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/8im3z76t08jezjj0zvzmd/AHTjFEb8gjyJbZ1WnuhrzVM?rlkey=71z8hz05304br628wi1rlicl5&st=p0tm9xop&dl=
Brian Fornuto
November 26, 2024at6:08 pm
Hey Mark, maybe not a question for you, but how are the Rays supposed to “honor the long-negotiated funding deal for a $1.37 billion new ballpark or issue a formal termination notice” when they don’t know if the County Commissioners will actually move forward with the bond issuance in December? What am I missing? I’m a firm advocate in keeping the Rays in St Pete, but why don’t the Rays need equal clarity from the city/county?
I talk to anyone that is willing to engage in this conversation topic and the overwhelming sentiment is that there are way too many EGOS and GRANDSTANDING. Less interviews and names in the paper and more effort into getting a deal done is needed.
Mike
November 26, 2024at3:39 pm
1. Fix the roads
2. Pick up the trash
3. Resign