The Tampa Bay Rays will play their upcoming 2025 season at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field as they wait for the hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field to be repaired.
At the same time, there are questions about the planned new stadium – and they’re coming from newly elected city and county officials.
The planned $1.3 billion stadium is the centerpiece of the Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment project.
Earlier this year, the St. Petersburg City Council agreed to provide $287 million and the Pinellas County Commission $312 million dollars in Tourism Tax revenue to fund the ballpark.
But costs following Hurricanes Helene and Milton, as well as the results of the Nov. 5 election, may throw those decisions into doubt.
Plans for funding for the stadium were passed 5-2 by the Pinellas County Commission in July.
However, new commissioners Vince Nowicki and Chris Scherer, who campaigned against the Rays deal, will be sworn in next week.
They’ll join Commissioner Chris Latvala, who spoke about his stance at a workshop Thursday.
“I did not support the deal. I still think the deal was not good for our taxpayers. Certainly was not good for the taxpayers in St Petersburg,” said Latvala. “But having said that, the Rays are in quite the bind, and they're going to have to play somewhere.”
The County Commission is scheduled to take up questions about the funding at their meeting Tuesday.
A similar situation may be developing in the St. Petersburg City Council, which approved the plan by a 5-3 vote in July.
Mike Harting and Corey Givens won’t be sworn in until 2025. Both have criticized the deal.
When the Council discusses the plan next Thursday, one of the members who voted yes won’t be there.
Ed Montanari resigned to run for the Florida House District 60 seat, which he lost.
