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Ken Welch makes history, plans for St. Pete's future
Dan Matics reports
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - When the Tampa Bay Rays' lease at Tropicana Field is up with the city of St. Petersburg in 2027, the team has said it wants to split seasons between somewhere in the Tampa Bay region and Montréal, Canada.
One option the team has mentioned is relocating to Al Lang Stadium on St. Pete’s waterfront.
"That’s absolutely a possibility," said owner Stu Sternberg, when asked in 2018.
The Rays own the Rowdies’ soccer team, which currently plays at Al Lang – and Wednesday, Ken Welch, the city’s mayor-elect, said he’s open to the possibility, too.
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"I think there are a lot of options. Including Al Lang Field as well," Welch told FOX 13’s Dan Matics.
If this sounds familiar, in 2008 the Rays proposed a stadium at Al Lang but the idea quickly failed.
Current Mayor Rick Kriseman has been at a stalemate on negotiations, with the city not wanting to give up taxpayer dollars to build a stadium for a team only playing half its season in the city.
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However, not yet in office, the new mayor seems to already have a better working relationship with key players in the process.
"Re-establishing a relationship with the Rays -- We’ve done that. The Rays supported my campaign. I supported them as a county commissioner," Welch said.
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The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says they don't want to pay for the Rays' new stadium, either.
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As for redeveloping the 86 acres of land on which Tropicana Field sits, Welch says he’s been involved in the process with Mayor Kriseman to narrow it down to two developers' proposals. Welch says he’s talked to the finalists and thinks theirs are two "solid" proposals.
"We will evaluate what Mayor [Kriseman] recommends. I think he is going to make a selection, but we’ve been involved in that process," he said.
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New St. Pete mayor wants to focus on affordable housing, reducing crime
History was made in St. Petersburg when voters elected the city's first-ever Black mayor. Ken Welch will be replacing outgoing Mayor Rick Kriseman in 2022. He said while his victory is historic, "making history without making a positive impact will be an empty achievement" and has a vision for the city's future.
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Meanwhile, Welch says he feels a strong personal connection with the future of downtown St. Pete's Edge District, where Tropicana Field currently sits. He was raised in the historic 22nd Street South District – known as The Deuces.
His grandfather’s wood yard was displaced to make way for I-175. Welch says his church was also displaced – to make way for baseball.
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As for plans to remove I-175, which runs parallel to the Trop, he expressed concerns for access to Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital.
"I’d like to see a business case for it," he said, referring to removing the roadway. "There’s a school and a park, so you’re not really reconnecting a neighborhood by taking 175 down."
Welch takes office on January 6.