Rays to get NEW STADIUM!!!

[gurlybull]

Just thought I'd leak the news...the announcement will come tonight.  The Rays are getting a new stadium.  It will be outdoor with a cloth like roof cover....  Should be a new era for the team!  Seats 35,000.

                                    -Gurly

[WWMJD]

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=67355

Update: Rays management on new waterfront stadium

 

St. Petersburg, Florida - The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly plan to build a new waterfront stadium at the site of historic Al Lang Field.

Sources tell 10 News that the new stadium, which will hold about 35,000 seats, will be largely paid for by the team with $150 million and proceeds from the sale and redevelopment rights of Tropicana Field.

Management from the Rays appeared before the St. Petersburg City Council early Friday night but did not speak to reporters.

Just minutes ago Rays President Matt Silverman made the following statement:

"First and foremost as Stuart Sternberg has said repeatedly we will not demand a new stadium. Secondly, Stuart has said on numerous occasions that Tropicana Field will not be a viable facility by the end of our lease term. We are excited about these potential developments and all of the benefits that they would bring to our community. Anything that we do would certainly involve significant public input in all aspects of the process."

Stay with tampabays10.com and 10 News for updates on this story.

[mulheap]

you're late.

the story was on the st. pete times website front page at 6.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/09/Southpinellas/Rays_seeking_new_stad.shtml

anyway, what kind of professional baseball stadium holds only 35,000!  I still say move the stadium closer to downtown tampa.

[Economics_Nerd82]

Is this a joke?

[Economics_Nerd82]

you're late.

the story was on the st. pete times website front page at 6.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/09/Southpinellas/Rays_seeking_new_stad.shtml

anyway, what kind of professional baseball stadium holds only 35,000!  I still say move the stadium closer to downtown tampa.

Fenway park.

[bull2saintleo]

you're late.

the story was on the st. pete times website front page at 6.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/09/Southpinellas/Rays_seeking_new_stad.shtml

anyway, what kind of professional baseball stadium holds only 35,000!  I still say move the stadium closer to downtown tampa.

Fenway park.

Based off of Wikipedia, the current stadiums under 40,000 seats are:

Oakland's McAfee Coliseum - 34,077*

Florida's Dolphin Stadium - 36,331*

Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field - 38,437*

Pittsburgh's PNC Park - 38,496

Boston's Fenway Park - 38,805

* = stadium actually has larger capacity, but some seats are tarped over.

Oakland's future stadium Cisco Field will seat 30,000-36,000 depending on final designs.

[PitBull]

i think less is more.. the pirates optioned for a smaller, more intimate stadium and PNC is freaking awesome.  same with the giants stadium..

my only issue is it being in St. Pete again.. i am from plant city, so they are isolating fan bases east of Tampa.  if it were in tampa, at least St. Pete residents are used to driving to tampa for athletic events (bucs, bulls, lightning, etc).

i'd love for a stadium to be in Ybor and made to look like a historic cigar factory.  that way, you can take that **** trolley that loses money on an annual basis and you can pregame at one of the many bars on 7th avenue.  logistically, the parking would be a nightmare.

[PitBull]

you're late.

the story was on the st. pete times website front page at 6.

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/09/Southpinellas/Rays_seeking_new_stad.shtml

anyway, what kind of professional baseball stadium holds only 35,000!  I still say move the stadium closer to downtown tampa.

based on this article, it says the reason why they chose this site is because it gives them an opportunity to move out of the Trop without having to fight the lease with the city of St. Pete:

"Not only could it evolve into a picturesque signature home, but it also would allow the team to get a new stadium without having to fight to get out of its lease at Tropicana Field, which runs through 2027.

The lease bars the Rays from moving anywhere without the city's permission, making an in-city move much more feasible than elsewhere in the Tampa Bay area, such as the state Fairgrounds location in eastern Hillsborough County. "

if that is the case, i still think it's gotta be as close to Tampa as possible, even if it is in pinellas county.  why not the area immediately once either the howard franklin or the gandy bridge ends in pinellas county?  there is a TON of waterfront property right there that can be used to build a stadium as well as parking.. not only that, it's easy access for tampa residents, and it's still in pinellas county, so they wouldnt have to fight the lease.

[mulheap]

i think less is more.. the pirates optioned for a smaller, more intimate stadium and PNC is freaking awesome.  same with the giants stadium..

my only issue is it being in St. Pete again.. i am from plant city, so they are isolating fan bases east of Tampa.  if it were in tampa, at least St. Pete residents are used to driving to tampa for athletic events (bucs, bulls, lightning, etc).

i'd love for a stadium to be in Ybor and made to look like a historic cigar factory.  that way, you can take that **** trolley that loses money on an annual basis and you can pregame at one of the many bars on 7th avenue.  logistically, the parking would be a nightmare.

I figured at least 40,000 seats would be in the new stadium.

Yeah sure, they are isolating the fan base east of Tampa, but if they moved it to Tampa they would isolate all the fans west of St. Pete.

I thought they were trying to market to Orlando, that would be much easier if 45min were taken off the trip (and it's going to be a lot longer trip than that if the Rays get good and people actually start showing up to games).  But this lease preventing them from leaving the city of St. Pete pretty much makes it impossible to move a stadium to the other side of the bay, unless Stu forks over A LOT of money to St. Pete.

[smazza]

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/article.aspx?storyid=67355

Update: Rays management on new waterfront stadium

   

St. Petersburg, Florida - The Tampa Bay Rays reportedly plan to build a new waterfront stadium at the site of historic Al Lang Field.

Sources tell 10 News that the new stadium, which will hold about 35,000 seats, will be largely paid for by the team with $150 million and proceeds from the sale and redevelopment rights of Tropicana Field.

Management from the Rays appeared before the St. Petersburg City Council early Friday night but did not speak to reporters.

Just minutes ago Rays President Matt Silverman made the following statement:

"First and foremost as Stuart Sternberg has said repeatedly we will not demand a new stadium. Secondly, Stuart has said on numerous occasions that Tropicana Field will not be a viable facility by the end of our lease term. We are excited about these potential developments and all of the benefits that they would bring to our community. Anything that we do would certainly involve significant public input in all aspects of the process."

Stay with tampabays10.com and 10 News for updates on this story.

why such a small stadium?