TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The development deal to build the Tampa Bay Rays a new stadium in St. Petersburg appears to be dead. Now, other groups are lining up to buy the team and take it to another city.
“We are clearly going to dust off our proposal here in Hillsborough County and see where that takes us,” said Tampa Mayor Jane Castor.
The mayor says she is willing to sit down with team owners and talk about bringing the team to her side of the Bay.
“As I have said from the beginning, any agreement to have the baseball stadium built here in the city of Tampa will have to be something that takes our taxpayers’ dollars into consideration and it has to be a plan that is good for our community,” said Castor.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan has led the effort to bring the Rays to his county for more than 15 years. He was not surprised when the deal fell apart in Pinellas.
“Yesterday’s announcement was expected. When you considered all of the comments from the Rays organization over the last several months, it was clear it wasn’t a matter of if, but when,” said Hagan.
He says the deal Hillsborough County offered to move the team to Ybor City made more financial sense for the team in the long term, but he says Pinellas County had more tourism tax dollars to offer up front.
“We were unwilling and unable to provide as much up front money as the Rays insisted, but our model, first and foremost, protected the taxpayers,” said Hagan.
He is also willing to sit down with the Rays and talk about a new deal.
“If we are in a position to sit down with a new ownership group, then I am 100 percent confident that we can get to an agreement in Tampa for a ballpark that will ensure that the Rays remain here for decades to come,” said Hagan.
On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said he would not get involved in the situation, but does say he has been assured by the commissioner of Major League Baseball, the team will stay in Florida.
“So, you know, I don’t really get involved in this or that, because there’s other people that can handle that. But just as a baseball fan and as a Floridian, I know, I know baseball can do well in the Tampa Bay area,” said DeSantis.