ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — The deal to build a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays appears to be in tatters, much like the roof of Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton.
Monday, Pinellas County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters sent a letter to the team asking for written clarification about where the deal currently stands.
Peters said in her letter to the team, “In light of recent events, conversations and correspondence, it has become imperative that clarity be achieved as to the status of the Tampa Bay Rays Stadium Development and Funding Agreement. I am requesting that you officially
declare your intention regarding this Agreement and whether you intend to see it come to fruition.”
Peters asked for a written response from the team by Dec. 1.
She said she wants the deal to go forward, but in an interview on Monday, she says it’s not clear if the team wants the same thing.
“The county has done nothing at this point to break this contract,” Peters said. “Those bonds don’t have to voted on anytime soon. So, we have not done anything that would break the contract on the county’s side.”
She said she just wants clarity and transparency from the team about their intentions.
“So, really we are setting the record straight as far as where we are,” Peters said. “The county considers the deal is active. We in no way, shape or form think the deal is not, until they send a letter saying they want to withdraw from the contract.”
Monday afternoon, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch sent his own letter to the team.
“As I stated at last week’s St. Petersburg City Council and Budget, Finance and Taxation committee meetings, my conversations with each county commissioner have been productive and promising,” Welch wrote. “However, Mr. Auld’s statements during the council meeting clearly stated that from the Rays’ perspective, there is ‘no deal,’ and they do not intend to move forward under the terms of the new stadium agreements signed in July. The City has asked for a written termination, and I support County Commission Chair Peters’ request for clarity. Both the City and County have invested a significant amount of time and resources into the Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment. Our community deserves certainty, so that we can chart our path forward.”
The Rays sent out their own statement on Monday saying, “We are eager to work with all partners on a solution for the 2029 season that keeps Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come. As we always have, we will maintain contact with the city and county as we navigate our future.”
Peters said she is still hopeful the stadium deal will move forward.
“We are eager to work with all partners on a solution for the 2029 season that keeps Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come,” Peters said. “As we always have, we will maintain contact with the city and county as we navigate our future.”
