Getty Image / Brandon Sloter
The Tampa Bay Rays have done more with less as a franchise for well over a decade now. Their ability to consistently win while not spending a lot of money is simply remarkable.
Yet, despite all of the winning, locals have never routinely flocked to Tropicana Field to watch the Rays play. There are multiple reasons for that, but one is that the stadium is simply not up to par with most other parks in Major League Baseball.
The park, which is actually in St. Petersburg, which is sometimes an hour’s drive from downtown Tampa due to traffic, has long been considered one of the two or three worst parks in all of baseball. There are no amenities to speak of, and while baseball in Florida likely needs a roof of some sort due to frequent summer thunderstorms, the permanent white roof at the Trop is downright depressing, and often impacts fly balls.
But, there’s good news! After years of negotiations with both the cities of Tampa and St. Petersburg, it appears the Rays have finally gotten a deal done to build a new stadium.
In a 5-3 vote, St. Petersburg has a deal. Chambers applaud as City Council approved 12 legally binding agreements with Pinellas County, the Tampa Bay Rays and development partner Hines for a new stadium and redevelopment, to be called the Historic Gas Plant District. pic.twitter.com/OWSdh257vp
— Colleen Wright (@Colleen_Wright) July 18, 2024
The stadium proposal still needs to clear a vote from the Pinellas County Commission to release some $300 million in revenue from tourist taxes, but it seems pretty likely it will.
The proposed stadium would seat 30,000 people and have a fixed roof. But, it would have windows and walls that could be “opened” to allow fresh air and sunlight in on warm days. It’s part of a huge development proposed near Tropicana Field currently that would build 6,000 apartments and open up hundreds of thousands of square footage of commercial space, redeveloping a pivotal part of downtown.
Frankly, Rays fans deserve this. They already have to deal with ownership pinching pennies when just an addition or two would’ve put them over the top a few times in the last few years. The least the owners could do is give them a fun ballpark to attend.
This season has not gone to plan for the Rays, but they’re still not out of it. They sit at 48-48 as they get ready to return from the All-Star Break.