Tampa Bay Rays continue blaming county for ‘falling short’ as the new stadium saga continues
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays sent a letter to Pinellas County commissioners on Saturday in response to Pinellas County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters' letter to the team last week, giving them a December 1 deadline to decide whether they still want to move forward with plans for a new ballpark.
In this letter, Rays President Matt Silverman writes in part that "when it comes to honoring the spirit of the new ballpark agreements, it is Pinellas County, not the Rays that falls short".
"We wanted to just put the record straight about what's in the contract, what they're obligated to and what we're obligated to because I think it's only fair for the public to have transparency and know what's expected," Peters said on November 25.
In the letter from Peters, she says the Rays were incorrect in arguing that the county's failure to finalize bonds in October would have forced the stadium to be finished after the initial target of opening day 2028. Commissioners say the hurricanes forced them to postpone the vote.
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The Rays claim delaying the ballpark would leave them with costs they could not absorb alone because under the initial agreement, the team is responsible for all cost overruns.
File: Rendering of Rays new stadium
As Rays Co-President Brian Auld explained to the St. Petersburg city council earlier this month when the roof was torn off the Trop and they had to relocate to the smaller Steinbrenner Field and now stand to lose loads of revenue.
In the latest letter sent by Rays, the team goes on to say in part "The Rays have always made it clear that the viability of the project depended on having certainty about the project’s approval and funding prior to the 2024 November elections".
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"I am saying specifically I don't believe we can make the economics around this arrangement work anymore. I don't know how to be more clear. We have a very challenging future ahead of us," Auld said back on November 22nd.
File: Rendering of Rays new stadium
In a statement sent to FOX 13 Sunday night, Peters shared, "While publicly the Rays organization has said ‘the deal is dead,’ their written statement is in contrast. Despite the Rays’ lack of political prowess of late, I’ve always been optimistic about this project because of the great economic impact it could bring to our county. To continue to keep taxes low for residents, we need to develop new funding streams. I look forward to continued discussion with my colleagues about how this stadium can do just that while solidifying Pinellas as a diverse tourist destination."
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