Commission's delay in financing vote puts 'Rays' proposed stadium on hold

The fate of the Tampa Bay Rays in Florida is uncertain, as one stadium has been damaged by a hurricane and funding for a planned replacement is now in question.

On Tuesday, Pinellas County commissioners decided to postpone a vote on issuing bonds to cover their portion of the $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg. The vote has been pushed back to December 17th. Commissioner Brian Scott, who previously supported the county's funding as outlined in a deal made in July, made a motion to delay the vote because he believed it would not pass.

Two newly elected commissioners are expected to oppose the deal, replacing two who had previously supported it.

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Commissioner Rene Flowers was the only one to vote against the delay, stating that she does not see the vote passing. She believes that additional time will not change the minds of her fellow commissioners.

The vote had previously been postponed due to hurricanes Helene and Milton.

The outcome of the meeting was a shock to the Rays. Earlier that day, the team sent a letter to the commissioners stating that the current financial terms for the stadium were no longer feasible and a new solution needed to be reached.

In the letter, team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman expressed their disappointment in the county's failure to approve the financing, which has set back the planned 2028 move-in date for the ballpark. As a result, the team has had to halt construction plans for the stadium and surrounding area.

While team officials were present at the meeting, they did not make any comments and instead addressed the situation in their letter.

The Rays organization was saddened and surprised by the turn of events. They have invested decades of work and over $50 million to make this project a reality, a project that was approved by the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County. However, their efforts have been put in jeopardy due to the county's failure to uphold their agreement from July.

Mayor Ken Welch released a statement to the Tampa Bay Times, stating that he believes the July agreement is still valid and that the city will continue to work towards a successful outcome.

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In July, Pinellas County commissioners approved $312.5 million in public financing through a tourist tax, initially funded by bonds. However, in October, the bond vote was delayed due to uncertainty about where the Rays would play next season after Hurricane Milton damaged the roof at Tropicana Field.

The Rays will be playing their home games in 2025 at the New York Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa.

Auld and Silverman wrote in their letter, "While we are focused on preparing for a unique 2025 season, we stand ready to work on a new solution with any and all willing partners to preserve the future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come."

The next hurdle for the ballpark will be on Thursday, when the St. Petersburg City Council will vote on selling their own bonds to cover their share of the stadium, as well as area roads and sewers.