ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg said more than a year ago that the team has its home.
"Major League Baseball is here to stay," he said during a press conference in September of 2023.
But that reality looks foggy right now as funding for a new Rays stadium isn't a done deal.
The St. Petersburg City Council reversed course Thursday on whether to spend more than $23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark, initially voting narrowly for approval and hours later changing course.
The reversal on fixing Tropicana Field came after the council voted to delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days before, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo.
Brian Auld, co-president of the Rays, isn't optimistic.
"It's been nothing short of heartbreaking to inform our staff and our partners and our fans that our agreement effectively died when the county commission replaced two 'yes' votes with two 'no' votes," he said.
Mark Ferguson, the owner of Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill in St. Pete, remains hopeful despite all of the uncertainty and unanswered questions swirling right now.
"I think it's not real good, but I think it's better than them not approving the bond," Ferguson said. "So we still have hope."
This all began when Hurricane Milton blew through, taking the roof off of Tropicana Field.
"I was right here in the building. We were nice and safe," Ferguson said. "But when I woke up in the morning, I looked outside and I was like, 'Holy cow.' I had no idea what it meant. Now it's just one thing after another. We could lose baseball, but hopefully not."
Ferg's is a shrine to baseball, situated right across the street from Tropicana Field. If the Trop goes, so does a piece of Ferg's identity.
"It means a lot to us. I mean, we were built because of the Tampa Bay Rays. We're very proud of them," he said. "We like to support them. All their fans come here before and after the games, and it is going to hurt this year not having them. We'll probably have to lay some people off, hopefully not too many. Hopefully, they get back to the table, and in 2026, we'll have baseball back at the Trop. That's what I'm hoping for."
As Auld explained to the media and later to the council, even though the city voted to pay for Tropicana Field repairs in hopes of getting the team back in the Trop by 2026, the team cannot bank on that timeline.
“My understanding of the situation at Tropicana Field is that it is incredibly uncertain, likely to be far more expensive than most of the estimates that are out there, and could take a lot longer to work its way forward," Auld said.
Even if the city moves forward with the repairs, Auld said the Rays will still seek out an alternative place to play in case the repairs aren't completed in time.
Ferguson hopes after Thanksgiving, cooler heads will prevail.
"I believe the Tampa Bay Rays are on first, city is on second, and the county commission is on third. We need to knock a home run to get them all home," he said.
Auld did say he remains committed to making every effort possible to keep the team in Tampa Bay and renegotiating a deal with the help of Pinellas County and the city of St. Pete.
“In a heartbeat,” he said. “I just would ask you, you know, how realistic that is based on everything we’ve heard in the last few weeks.”
In a statement, St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said:
“While we are disappointed that we are pausing the repair of Tropicana Field and the bond issuance that would finance the city’s contribution to a new stadium, we believe there remains a path forward. My administration is prepared to bring a modified plan back to City Council for their consideration. However, I want to make it clear that this plan will not include additional funds from the City. We maintain our position that the Historic Gas Plant District is an equitable economic driver that will benefit future generations. Ultimately, we remain committed to carrying out our contractual obligations and stand ready to work with our partners in the weeks ahead.”
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