Rays staying in St. Pete - New stadium deal!

[imref]

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2023/09/09/stuart-sternberg-st-petersburg-stadium-investors-offers-wander-franco/

Team will invest $600 million into a domed stadium near the current one.

[HalfSmokes]

So much for needing a new location.

[Natsinpwc]

I think the priority was always a stadium to stay there.

[Five Banners]

I think the priority was always a stadium to stay there.

I thought the priority was getting into a place where the eastern part of that area as well as Central Florida could supplement things without having to deal with the logistical issues of depending on traffic flow of those narrow bridges on that side of things, especially in inclement weather.

[HalfSmokes]

I think the priority was always a stadium to stay there.

That was the city’s priority, but the team had been pushing for a better location

[Natsinpwc]

That was the city’s priority, but the team had been pushing for a better location

Yes the Ybor City area of Tampa would be much better.

[Natsinpwc]

I thought the priority was getting into a place where the eastern part of that area as well as Central Florida could supplement things without having to deal with the logistical issues of depending on traffic flow of those narrow bridges on that side of things, especially in inclement weather.

Yea I meant as opposed to moving to Nashville or Montreal.

Tampa would be better for fans in central florida but it’s still like a 2 hour drive each way with the way traffic is.  So don’t know how many fans they would draw in a different location. 

[Five Banners]

Yea I meant as opposed to moving to Nashville or Montreal.

Tampa would be better for fans in central florida but it’s still like a 2 hour drive each way with the way traffic is.  So don’t know how many fans they would draw in a different location. 

It will be interesting to see how the new train system may be integrated into all of this over time:

https://www.gobrightline.com/train-stations/fl

[imref]

Deal is done, Official announcement tomorrow:

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2023/09/18/stadium-gas-plant-district-2028-tropicana-field-stuart-sternberg/

[nfotiu]

I don't think I could ever get excited to watch indoor baseball.   

[Five Banners]

Deal is done, Official announcement tomorrow:

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2023/09/18/stadium-gas-plant-district-2028-tropicana-field-stuart-sternberg/

No retractable roof versus a fixed dome, seating around 30 K, and still on the St. Petersburg sides of things. One question when they do redevelopments like this downtown is how they’re going to handle the parking, as well as getting people in and out of there. One wonders if it’s going to be even more challenging on that front than the existing situation.

[HalfSmokes]

It’s the Rays- parking won’t be an issue.

[blue911]

I don't think I could ever get excited to watch indoor baseball.

It’s actually worse than you could ever imagine.

[blue911]

It’s the Rays- parking won’t be an issue.

Unless the Jones in-laws come over and take up the guest spot.

[imref]

light rail from St. Pete and Tampa would make sense.

[Five Banners]

light rail from St. Pete and Tampa would make sense.

https://www.gobrightline.com/

I’m actually intrigued about staying in central Florida but taking the train down to West Palm Beach. By the time I would do that, hopefully some reviews will be in.

[Natsinpwc]

https://www.gobrightline.com/

I’m actually intrigued about staying in central Florida but taking the train down to West Palm Beach. By the time I would do that, hopefully some reviews will be in.

I tried to search to see what a ticket might cost next March but no prices yet for those dates. Looks like $79 each way for now. I am sure they will Jack up the prices during spring break time. 

[GburgNatsFan]

I've been watching the development of Brightline for a while. We like to stay in Cocoa Beach. Eventually there is supposed to be a station in Cocoa.

https://www.gobrightline.com/

I’m actually intrigued about staying in central Florida but taking the train down to West Palm Beach. By the time I would do that, hopefully some reviews will be in.

[JCA-CrystalCity]

Just the end of a nice critique of modern tax payer financed mega developments anchored by stadiums.

Michael Baumann:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-jewel-box-under-end-stage-capitalism/

As much as I’ve harped on Camden Yards being the foundation for the modern ballpark, that isn’t really true anymore. Now, it’s Truist Field. The Braves abandoned a functional (if uninspiring) Turner Field to move their team to a greenfield site in the suburbs and surround it with buildings of their own choosing and from which they could profit. That’s why the Rays, after decades of trying to move to Tampa proper, are staying in St. Petersburg. Their development site is 86 acres, almost 11 times the size of the lot the Twins built Target Field on, and will include 14,000 parking spaces, more than 5,000 residential units, a hotel, a conference center, 1.4 million square feet of office space, and 750,000 square feet of retail space.

It’s almost dishonest to call the stadium an anchor tenant or a tentpole. This is a misdirection act, an okey-doke. Because if a private real estate developer asked the public to foot the bill for condos and office buildings, they’d get laughed out of the room. But if it goes next to a baseball stadium? Here’s $730 million to develop a site the city already owns. If MLB owners thought like this in the 1970s, the Cubs and Red Sox would be playing in taxpayer-funded ballparks out in a mixed-use development in the suburbs somewhere, instead of venues that achieved legendary status because of their place within the community.

When a stadium is molded by its neighborhood, it can become aesthetically beautiful and culturally vital. The modern ideal is to pervert that process, do it backwards, and get taxpayers to foot the bill. Rather than the team and its home serving the needs of its community, now the community must serve the needs of the team.

Baumann is always worth a read.

[Five Banners]

Just the end of a nice critique of modern tax payer financed mega developments anchored by stadiums.

Michael Baumann:
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/the-jewel-box-under-end-stage-capitalism/

“When a stadium is molded by its neighborhood, it can become aesthetically beautiful and culturally vital. The modern ideal is to pervert that process, do it backwards, and get taxpayers to foot the bill. Rather than the team and its home serving the needs of its community, now the community must serve the needs of the team.“

Baumann is always worth a read.

Perchance along those lines:

https://wtop.com/local/2023/09/bill-to-give-dc-control-of-rfk-stadium-site-gets-green-light-from-key-house-committee/