St. Petersburg City Council Votes to Build New Rise Stadium

Today’s decision is likely to be made after decades of work: Will the Tampa Bay Rays stay in St. Petersburg, and what will happen to the 86 acres of Tropicana Field?

The City Council is scheduled to vote on 12 legally binding agreements governing the construction and financing of a new stadium and the redevelopment of its surrounding area, called the Historic Gas Plant District. Five votes are needed for approval. A tie vote means a failure.

If the council approves, all that remains is a July 30 vote by the Pinellas County Commission to allocate $312.5 million in tourism tax funds. If that is approved, the project will go ahead.

Reporter Colleen Wright, who covers St. Petersburg, is at City Hall today with photojournalist Dirk Schad. Pinellas County reporter Jack Evans is also following. We’ll have updates from them throughout the day.

12:09 PM Determine the time during which council members may speak

Next year’s budget has been discussed, but the council has already returned to talking about the stadium. Council President Figgs Sanders said she would limit council members’ speaking time. Now Haniovich has asked the council to consider waiving the time limits.

“I don’t plan on speaking for more than 10 minutes, honestly, but I think it’s only fair that we say all our thoughts without having to worry about stopping every three minutes,” she said.

She was supported by Montanari, Driscoll, Floyd and Muhammad. Gabbard said she feared that giving council members unlimited speaking time would lead to the possibility of “unlimited rhetoric” disrupting the meeting, and suggested giving each member 10 minutes to speak. Everyone seemed happy with the idea.

After the budget discussion is over, we will now move to a 30-minute lunch break. The House will resume its work at 12:40 p.m. — Jack Evans

11:39 AM Supporters expect economic boost

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Our first speaker of support: Chris Steinacher, President and CEO of the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce.

The Chamber of Commerce supported the Rice-Hines proposal because it was one of several that Mayor Ken Welch had to choose from. Steinaucher acknowledged the criticism and said he believes the project is the answer to concerns about jobs, wages and housing: “We don’t know of any other way to solve the issues I’m hearing in the chamber today without some kind of economic development opportunity like this.”

Trinia Cox, vice president of the St. Petersburg chapter of the NAACP, also spoke in favor of the resolution. She cited the city’s broken promises to black residents, particularly the demolition of the Gas Plant neighborhood in the 1980s in the name of urban renewal. The jobs and housing the city talked about then never materialized—instead, it built what is now Tropicana Field.

“The wealth gap between the black and white communities in St. Petersburg still exists today,” Cox said. “The proposal will provide the opportunity to fulfill that promise, and I believe the time is now.” — Jack Evans

11:25 AM Early wave of stadium resistance

We have already heard from several speakers in public comments, and their tone has been negative.

The stadium deal’s first two outspoken critics were Peter Kent, a retired engineer who is part of the opposition group No Home Run, and Robin Davidoff, of the League of Women Voters of St. Petersburg. They repeated arguments they’ve been making for months: that the deal is bad for taxpayers; that it lacks clear public support; and that research shows that stadiums rarely return public investment.

David Harbitner of the Sierra Club also spoke, urging the council to make last-minute adjustments to ensure developers adhere to sustainability and resiliency measures. This has been one of the biggest topics discussed at recent council meetings. — Jack Evans

11:15 AM First, some other work.

The meeting is underway, but first the council has a few other matters to deal with. There is a presentation on the city’s proposed budget, and a vote on approving the proposed tax rate. They will also vote on changes to the city’s Community Redevelopment Area. The stadium and development land are part of that area, and that vote must happen for the deal to move forward.

The City Council has met several times to discuss the Rise deal, and we have a good sense of where members stand. Copley Gerdes, Brandi Gabbard, Ed Montanari and Deborah Figgs Sanders have consistently signaled their support for the deal. Lizette Haniewicz, John Muhammad and Richie Floyd have also criticized it. Gina Driscoll, sometimes seen as a swing vote, seemed pleased with what she heard at recent council workshops.

But a good portion of the day is likely to be devoted to getting the public’s voices heard. No one can say how long the public comment periods might last, and it could be a long day ahead. So buckle up. — Jack Evans

11am “Generate Positive Rays” Before Voting

Rays President Brian Auld held up a book filled with 87 letters written in support of the vision the Tampa Bay Rays and their development partner Heinz hope to implement for a new stadium and the redevelopment of the surrounding urban areas.

The writers of those letters were in the crowd before him. Representatives from the Woodson African American Museum in Florida, the St. Petersburg chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the St. Petersburg Area Chamber of Commerce were among the groups that gathered at Tropicana Field yesterday.

“We want our board to know that, we want our county to know that, we want all of our supporters to know that a lot of work has gone into this, and it’s only right for us to say thank you,” Old said, “to let everyone know that whatever the outcome, we’re very proud of what we’ve put in, and hopefully we can generate some positivity that leads to those votes when they come out.”

Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg thanked fans and employees for putting up with the team’s uncertain fate. He called on fans to “convert” critics. About a dozen people protested on the steps of City Hall Tuesday. More critics are expected at today’s council meeting. Read more here. — Colin Wright

11:00 a.m. Tuesday’s workshop paved the way for possible approval today.

Mayor Ken Welch wrapped up Tuesday’s council meeting by reflecting on the city’s progress on the massive Tropicana Field redevelopment project that appears headed for approval today.

Welch held up a 1986 magazine cover that showed an aerial view of a model of Tropicana Stadium before it was built or even named. At the time, it was called the “Multi-Purpose Stadium.”

“I’m really excited about the vision we’ve developed together,” Welch told council members about the progress they’ve made in 38 years.

Most were equally upbeat at a workshop held to address last-minute changes and seal agreements in legal documents ahead of today’s formal vote. If approved, the city would spend $429.5 million on a new stadium, housing, hotels, an African American history museum and other features. About a dozen people protested on the steps of City Hall after the workshop. Read more about it here. — Colin Wright