PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Tampa Bay Rays online fan club with more than 25,000 members is urging the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners to proceed with the stadium deal previously approved by the commission in July.
Heather Clark, a die hard Rays fan, is a heavily-involved member of the group.
“The economic impact of having that kind of development is going to be substantial, and it’s going to be long-lasting," she said.
Clark and others were excited this past summer when local leaders seemingly signed off on a deal to keep the team in St. Petersburg long term.
Then, Hurricane Milton hit and ripped the roof off Tropicana Field.
After the team announced a deal to play at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa during the 2025 season, some commissioners like Chris Latvala expressed frustration.
"I think that it's unfortunate,” said Latvala, who represents Commission District Five, in an interview with ABC Action News last week.
Latvala believes the team should have played next season at a minor league ballpark in Pinellas County, and he said he has no evidence the team even tried to do that.
“In total, there's going to be over $1 billion in public funds dedicated from Pinellas residents to the Tampa Bay Rays, and the thank you that the Rays gave them was to play the games across the bridge in Hillsborough County,” he said.
As a result of the Rays' temporary home in Tampa, Latvala plans to vote against the team’s longer-term effort to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg as part of the city of St. Pete’s Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment.
While commissioners approved the stadium deal in a 5-2 vote back in July, they still need commissioners to sign off on the bonds required to partially fund the new stadium.
Latvala might not be the only 'no' vote. He could potentially be joined by other members of the commission, including two recently elected. If a majority of commissioners refuse to sign off on the bonds, it could jeopardize the entire deal to keep the Rays in St. Pete.
That vote could happen during a Tuesday meeting at 2 p.m.
“I kind of feel like it’s shortsighted, and I feel like we’ve lost the focus," said Clark.
Right now, Clark and other members are working around the clock to make commissioners aware of their thoughts.
“They are out in droves with a campaign of emailing, text messaging, calling," she said. “It’s pretty much a social media blitz, I would call it.”
She’s hoping it will make a difference in her group's effort to keep MLB and the Rays in Tampa Bay.
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