ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are throwing cold water on the new stadium deal. They sent a letter on Tuesday afternoon to Pinellas County Commissioners saying the deal is in jeopardy.
In the letter, they claim the county not finalizing the bonds last month made getting the stadium done by 2028 impossible, and getting it done in 2029 would create more costs than the team claims they can handle.
PDF: Read Rays letter to county commissioners
PREVIOUS STORY:
Pinellas County commissioners are scheduled to vote Tuesday on the financing portion of the Rays new stadium.
The vote is set to take place during a 2 p.m. meeting of the county commission.
The important bond vote that dictates the county’s portion of the stadium deal was first scheduled for October but was delayed as commissioners said they wanted to take a look at the cost of hurricane damage and the ways that could be addressed.
What You Need To Know
- Pinellas County commissioners are scheduled to vote Tuesday on the financing potion of the Rays new stadium
- Unclear if that will happen because at least one commissioner has expressed they might not be ready to move forward with the vote yet
- PREVIOUS STORY: Once a sure thing, Rays stadium deal may be in peril
- BACKGROUND: Previous stories on the Rays stadium search
It’s possible the vote could be delayed once again and get continued to a December meeting.
Watch County Commission Meeting Live:
When contacted Monday morning and asked if she wanted to delay the Tuesday bond vote, Commisioner Kathleen Peters said:"If the new commissioners feel they fully understand how the funding works and the legal timelines, then I am fine will voting now."
Commissioner Chis Latvala, who was a no vote on the stadium deal in July, voiced his concerns during a workshop last week stating that post-hurricane residents priorities have changed.
On Monday, he met with St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch and says the conversation was productive. He continued that the delay on the bonds vote shouldn’t be a deal breaker and the city and Rays have both had delays in the past. His concern is over if the more than $300 million in tourism tax dollars that are poised to go to the new stadium should be used to replenish and protect the beaches.
"While the tourist bed tax can’t go towards repairing people’s houses, it certainly can go towards repairing the beach and repairing the sand," said Latvala, who added the county technically has until March to approve the bonds.
St. Pete city leaders will hold a separate vote on its portion of the stadium funding Thursday.