Rays’ chances of moving into waterfront stadium dwindling
After 15 years of proposals, the Tampa Bay area has a new (actually, old) possibility on the horizon (or the waterfront). And, like every plan previously, this could be a game-changer.
Ever since the sister city proposal with Montreal was obliterated by Major
League Baseball earlier this year, it has increasingly looked like the Tropicana Field site was the only solution for the Rays.
The Ybor City neighborhood ballpark was no longer tenable because the Rays would need a larger, domed stadium if they were to remain in Tampa Bay year-round and it would not fit in that Ybor spot.
Plus, the new mayor in
St. Petersburg was enthusiastic about stadium possibilities, and the Trop site provided all kinds of land and funding opportunities. All the momentum was in St. Pete.
Downtown Tampa is better-suited geographically, has the demographics the Rays crave and now, finally, there might be a plot of land that perfectly suits their needs.
Entrepreneur Darryl Shaw, who previously tried to partner with the Rays on two Ybor City ventures, has recently agreed to purchase 25 acres of waterfront property between Ybor and the Florida Aquarium.
While the Rays have been fairly open about wanting to move closer to Tampa Bay’s corporate center, they are still entertaining the idea of rebuilding at the Trop site.
Why? The tourist tax is much more lucrative on that side of the bay, which means the Rays would not have to pay as much of the stadium’s $1 billion-plus price tag. Plus, the sheer acreage around the Trop site would increase the possibility of building a destination-style complex like the Battery in Atlanta.
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