Tropicana Field: Help Plan Its Post-Rays Future

St. Petersburg, FL – While the Tampa Bay Rays haven’t decided just where they’ll plant roots after leaving Tropicana Field sometime in the future, the city of St. Petersburg is gearing up for the eventuality.

With that in mind, the city is planning to host two upcoming meetings to get resident involvement in mapping out a plan for the 85-acre Tropicana Field site. The meetings are meant to give folks a chance to offer their thoughts and ideas for the future of the site.

“The potential redevelopment of the Tropicana Field site is a unique opportunity to reimagine not just that site, but our entire downtown,” Mayor Rick Kriseman said in a statement. “Given the size of this property and the impact its transformation could have on our community, it is important to me that our residents have a strong voice in this process.”

The meetings are scheduled as follows:

• July 18 – 6:30 p.m. at The Coliseum, 535 4th Ave. N.
• July 19 – 6:30 p.m. at Campbell Park Recreation Center, 601 14th St. S.

The Tampa Bay Rays were given a green light to search for a new stadium back in January. The team had been searching for a way out of its contract at Tropicana Field for years as its attendance figures slumped. The city agreed in January to allow the team to begin looking for a new stadium site with the caveat that it cannot leave the Trop before 2018.

Money is also on the line. The Rays could potentially pay as much as $24 million to walk away from Tropicana Field before the end of its actual contract in 2027. The ultimate price will depend on what year the team actually leaves. The Rays are also kicking in cash to help pay for the Tropicana Field redevelopment plan.

As of yet, the Rays have not announced a site for a new stadium. The team has been looking in both Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

What do you think should happen to the Tropicana Field site?

Patch file photo