So far, we’ve explored some of the reasons why the Trop is inadequate and why it might just be an enormous waste of money to renovate the aging facility. Today, we’ll explore the option of building a new facility. We’ll also explore some of the sites in St. Petersburg/Pinellaswhere a new stadium could be built.
Please note: I will make absolutely no bones about my desire to keep the Rays in Pinellas County. If you would like to read about Tampa/Hillsborough locations, check this out, here. I’m not inclined to solely support either Mayor Foster or Stu Sternberg. They are both correct in their needs for the city and team respectively. However, they seem to be two narcissistic adults playing children’s games with each other. If any good is to come of this situation, then both Mayor Foster and Stu Sternberg need to grow up and end this stalemate. Mayor Foster, if jobs and the economy are truly concerns of yours, then losing the Rays to Tampa/Hillsborough is, in essence, economic suicide.
Tropicana Field currently employs 5,000 plus people, all of which would be out of a job if our beloved small market team moves across the bridge. Likewise, St. Petersburg makes approximately $300 million a year, a sum generated by hotels, restaurants, and the Rays. In short, a large number of people would be out of work, and a huge chunk of change would be lost. Stu, quit using Tampa as a point of leverage. There are a good number of locations on this side of the bay that the mayor said he’s open to talking to you about. Take him up on that!
In short, you two dweebs look like uncomfortable tweens at the seventh grade dance. Sure, you two really want to dance with one another, but neither of you can find the wherewithal to ask one another to dance. And we all know how embarrassing it is going to be when uncle Bud Selig comes into the picture and forces you two to come together. Suck up that over abundance of ego you two, and restart this discussion.
So, what kind of ballpark would be ideal for the Rays?
The proposed waterfront stadium, size wise, would be ideal. That is to say, one that is not seated on an enormous plot of land. A retractable roof is probably the necessity of all necessities. After all, need we be reminded of how hot it gets in this area and the amount of rain that we see on a daily basis for the duration of baseball season? A move from a dome to retractable roof stadium could also cut the carbon footprint by 70%.
A facility like Miller Park, in Milwaukee, would be an ideal template. Miller Park not only has a retractable roof that closes in less than ten minutes in cases of rain or extreme heat, it also has retractable outfield walls which allow more natural light and air flow. Seated on 265 acres and with a seating capacity of 42,900, Milwaukee’s Miller Park stands as good example of a smaller, more intimate park that could be feasible in an area like this.
Where could a new stadium be built?
Currently there are four reasonable sites located within two general geographic areas in St. Petersburg/Pinellas County; three in the Gateway/Carillon area, and one in the vicinity of Gandy. Last week we looked at some demographic information which, in a nutshell, spelled out why downtown St. Petersburg may not be the best location to sustain a team. Let’s look at the demographics of the above mentioned areas to show why they are much better locations.
It has been projected that by 2013, there will be a population of 1,645,107 people (a number greater than the 2035 projected population of the area surrounding the Trop) that live within a 30 minute drive of the Gateway/Carillon area. Those numbers jump to 2,186,612 by 2035. There are approximately 182,304 households with an income greater than $75,000. Approximately $2.21 billion dollars are spent on entertainment yearly. Roughly 275,068 fans within a 30 minute driving radius of a proposed site in the Gateway/Carillon area attended Rays games in the last 12 months. Finally, there are approximately 16,274 firms with more than 10 employees within a thirty minute driving radius of the Gateway/Carillon area. Not much information is available on the Gandy area, however one can imagine a similar finding when the proximity to both the Gateway/Carillon area and Tampa is taken into consideration.
Let’s take a look at the locations in the Gateway/Carillon area
One location of interest is the Carillon business complex. One of the advantages of building here is its central location. Also, the traffic infrastructure is already in place. Surrounded by major traffic arteries such as Interstate 275, Ulmerton Road, Gandy Blvd, and the proximity two of the three major bridges that go to and from Pinellas County, a stadium built in this spot would be one that is easy to get to for Rays fans in the Tampa Bay region at large. An eventual light rail hub could also be built in Carillon bringing even more fans into the area. The Rays have estimated needing 12,000 parking spaces to accommodate a sellout, and Carillon currently has 18,000 existing parking spaces. Public financing would also probably be available.
As with any proposed location, there are some disadvantages. The cost of the land, road work to accommodate the Ulmerton overload, the need for more parking garages, and possible FAA complications from St. Pete-Clearwater Airport stand as the downsides to this location.
Toytown is another location of interest. As with Carillon, there are many advantages to building atop the old Toytown dump site. For one, Toytown is a huge plot of land that is presumably ready for development. Simlilar to Carillon, it too is centrally located. Since Toytown is county owned, there would be lots of political support for it, especially when you consider it’s just begging to be built upon. Similar to Carillon, it too could be light rail hub. Finally, public and tax increment financing probably available.
There are a few downsides however. Prior to the building of the incinerator and newer landfill on the other side of the interstate, Toytown was Pinellas counties landfill. Because of it, major environmental questions have been posed, and would need to be researched and inevitably dealt with. Major infrastructure changes would also be necessary. TIF funds for infrastructure improvements could be available though, and they would offset some of the costs of building the stadium.
The Jabil/La Entrada location is the last location in the Gateway/Carillon area that we’ll look at. Situated near MLK/Ninth Street and Interstate 275, Jabil/La Entrada is closer to urban centers both in north St. Petersburg and other surrounding areas. Public financing would probably be available.
The cost of the land, traffic access, parking, and infrastructure costs pose some serious downsides though. Again, TIF funds may be available to offset the costs of infrastructure improvements and the construction of the facility.
Finally, Let’s take a look at the location that is not in the Gateway/Carillon area: Derby Lane
Situated on a rather large chunk of land on Gandy Blvd, the Derby Lane location is highly regarded by many as the best location for a new facility. It is only a few miles from Tampa, a stones throw from the Howard Franklin and Gandy Bridges, centrally located, close to urban centers in both Pinellas and Hillsborough counties, and public financing is probably available if St. Petersburg were to annex the land into the city.
This location is not without its downsides though. First and foremost, rumors of this spot being available are only hearsay since no one has formally spoken to Derby Lane’s owners about purchasing the land. There are also only a few amenities surrounding the area (not that they couldn’t be built) and this location doesn’t seem to be a good candidate for a light rail station.
Unfortunately if, when, and where a stadium is built is dependent upon all of the parties involved, and when they finally open the lines of communication. Whether the very loud and prominent opinions that would find the Rays moving to Tampa do not have validity or are without merit, I cannot say. I certainly don’t buy the idea that St. Petersburg/Pinellas County cannot support and sustain a professional baseball team though. What is all but certain, is that the Rays will make the move across the bridge (or to another area all together) if the citizens of St. Petersburg/Pinellas do not become very vocal about what they want. In the end, something that finds both Mayor Foster and Stu Sternberg keenly aware of what we want needs to be done. After all, neither seem to be doing a good job at representing the constituents of St. Petersburg, and fans of the Rays.
