With a significant vote approaching on Tuesday for the Pinellas County Commission regarding previously postponed stadium bonds, the Tampa Bay Rays' owner has sent a clear message that a move to another city remains a possibility. The commission is set to decide on $335 million worth of bonds to finance the construction of a new $1.2 billion stadium in St. Petersburg. This stadium will receive $600 million from taxpayers and is scheduled to open in 2028, becoming the anchor of a $6.5 billion development in the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District.

Team Owner's Stance and County's Reaction

Team owner Stuart Sternberg informed the Tampa Bay Times that relocation is not an unlikely outcome given the concerns of some commission members regarding the cost of the bonds. In a previous month, the county commission disrupted the ballpark agreement by failing to approve the bonds as promised. This action signaled a loss of the county as a partner, making the future of baseball in Tampa Bay more uncertain.The Tropicana Field, which has been the home of the Rays since 1998, faced significant damage when Category 3 Hurricane Milton made landfall near Siesta Key on October 9. It tore 18 out of the 24 panels on the roof. The stadium opened in 1990 and has hosted various events over the years, including Davis Cup tennis, the NHL's Lightning, a college football bowl game, and an Arena Football League franchise. The team will play next season at the New York Yankees' spring training park, George Steinbrenner Field, in Tampa.

The Economic Impact Debate

Kennesaw State professor J.C. Bradbury expressed a different perspective in a post on X. He argued that redeveloping the Trop land without a stadium would likely bring more economic benefits to St. Pete's citizens compared to including a stadium. Bradbury is a skeptic of public financing for stadiums and has conducted research showing that stadiums do not drive economic growth, which is a key argument put forward by team and local officials in favor of subsidies.A report by Hennessy Construction Services, released by the city of St. Petersburg, indicates that Tropicana Field repairs could cost $55 million, with $26.3 million solely for the roof replacement. The St. Petersburg City Council will discuss the issue at its Friday meeting regarding whether to replace the Tropicana Field's roof for two seasons before the new stadium is set to open. The council voted on October 31 to allocate $6.5 million for cleanup efforts.