Tropicana Field

The League of Women Voters says that after reviewing similar plans nationwide involving new stadiums and urban development that most cities reaching agreements with baseball or football franchises ended up getting a bad deal.

The Southern Poverty Law Center said it is looking into the history behind how the city acquired the land and “failed to produce sustainable employment or affordable housing.”

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch provided a brief update on the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District and the new baseball stadium at the annual State of the City address on Tuesday.

Marketing efforts include playing at least one home game a year with an alternate uniform that would sport the St. Petersburg name, and letting the city have input in naming the ballpark.

After an initial presentation Wednesday, residents can offer their input on the Historic Gas Plant District during a series of meetings in January.

City Council members will discuss the possibility of renaming the franchise as part of the deal to build the Rays’ new stadium during their meeting Dec. 14.

Much of the area was fragmented with the construction of I-275, leading to many in the historically Black neighborhood being displaced.

Some council members questioned tying redevelopment to a sports stadium during a Thursday meeting.

The county will pay $312.5 million through its bed tax, and no more, commissioners said.

The Rays won 13 straight in April, but they were dispatched from the postseason for the third straight year. Texas won Game 2 of the AL Wild Card series, 7-1, before 20,198 fans at the Trop.

It was the lowest attendance for a postseason game since the 1919 World Series other than during the coronavirus pandemic. Game 2 is at the Trop on Wednesday.

The Rays are back in the postseason for the fifth straight year. Tickets are available for the three-game series in St. Petersburg. First pitch for Game 1 is at 3:08 p.m., and ABC will telecast the games.