Rays' Proposed Stadium Unveiled!

[BullsWinBucsWin]

Man it looks pretty sweet to me!

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/28/Rays/Rays_re_imagine_downt.shtml

[Triple B]

That is pretty **** cool. Will be great if they can pull it off...

[dh5158]

Man it looks pretty sweet to me!

http://www.sptimes.com/2007/11/28/Rays/Rays_re_imagine_downt.shtml

It is very nice.  But if it means me having to pay more taxes, I would have to say "no."

[smazza]

la says screw you to these rich owners

taxpayers should pay a nickel

[Juice813]

Screw this ownership...the stadium isnt the issue, its the fact they dont put a winning team on the field. And trading Delmon Young seriously going to the be answer. If they were going for Johan Santana, maybe, but Matt Garza....Shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit!!!!

You might draw a good crowd the first year...hell they drew a decent crowd the first few months of the inaugural season, but when the fans realize that they are no different from the boys playing at the trop the past 10 years, they'll quit coming. This isnt the bucs where there was some indication things were getting better when Ray Jay opened in 98...they still have no solid bullpen and their starting rotation is going get them past a wild car if they were even to make the playoffs by some miracle.

[Joe]

I'm not anti Public funding, but a team that spends below 30 Million on payroll doesn't desrve a dime, especially when their current venue was completely remodeled in 1997.

[macphisto]

Love the entire plan.  They find a much better use for the Trop that will benefit the area greatly, get a new stadium, and end up adding greater revenue for payroll.

People can complain about the payroll as much as they want, but it's never going to be huge without fan support.  It's a catch-22.  There are ways around it.  Look at the Indians.  They had a $30M or less payroll and developed guys internally.  They might consider adding a decent free agent or two, but they realize that when guys like Sizemore, Martinez, Sabathia, Carmona, etc get older they will have to shell out much more. 

Everyone seems to want a huge increase in payroll every year.  The last time the Rays did that they brought us Hit Show.  That turned out great, huh?  Will you be placated if they stink but at least have a $60M payroll?  Please.

The Rays are trying.  Garza would give them a really nice rotation.  Rincon had on off year last season but has a multi-year track record as a good reliever.  Percival is old but looked good last year after taking a season off.  They may also pursue other options after the Mitchell Report is released.

I'd much prefer this stadium over the dump that is The Trop.  I like the downtown atmosphere and would definitely go to more games and maybe consider season tickets.  I like what their plan would do for and to St. Pete, making that whole area more vibrant and an even greater alternative to Tampa as a place to go for the locals.  I'm equidistant between the two cities.  This would make me visit St. Pete a lot more.

[PitBull]

Love the entire plan.  They find a much better use for the Trop that will benefit the area greatly, get a new stadium, and end up adding greater revenue for payroll.

People can complain about the payroll as much as they want, but it's never going to be huge without fan support.  It's a catch-22.  There are ways around it.  Look at the Indians.  They had a $30M or less payroll and developed guys internally.  They might consider adding a decent free agent or two, but they realize that when guys like Sizemore, Martinez, Sabathia, Carmona, etc get older they will have to shell out much more. 

Everyone seems to want a huge increase in payroll every year.  The last time the Rays did that they brought us Hit Show.  That turned out great, huh?  Will you be placated if they stink but at least have a $60M payroll?  Please.

The Rays are trying.  Garza would give them a really nice rotation.  Rincon had on off year last season but has a multi-year track record as a good reliever.  Percival is old but looked good last year after taking a season off.  They may also pursue other options after the Mitchell Report is released.

I'd much prefer this stadium over the dump that is The Trop.  I like the downtown atmosphere and would definitely go to more games and maybe consider season tickets.  I like what their plan would do for and to St. Pete, making that whole area more vibrant and an even greater alternative to Tampa as a place to go for the locals.  I'm equidistant between the two cities.  This would make me visit St. Pete a lot more.

i am from plant city and have said from the beginning that the stadium needs to be in hillsborough county.  with it being in pinellas, i feel like it is locking out people from the East, and north and south along I-75.  now, people from st. pete will argue that putting the stadium in tampa would lock them out, but i figured people from pinellas are used to driving to tampa anyways for sporting events (like myself), so it wouldnt be new.

with that being said, i read how they cannot get out of their lease with the city of st. petersburg, so i honestly believe this is the best that they can do and it's not that bad at all.  if anyone has been to downtown st. pete lately, it's changed a lot with a lot of restaurants and bars.. a hell of a lot more vibrant than downtown tampa.  my sister lived in downtown while in law school and we used to go to First Friday every month (they shutdown the road with the bars/clubs and people walk around with live music, and what not).  the stadium would just add more life to downtown st. pete.

my big issue is the parking.. they claim there will be more spots than there are around the trop.. well, i'll believe it when i see it.  i think it is more of a technicality than anything, and a bunch of those spots are private parking lots that will become charge lots on gamedays.  i know they have  a trolley running through downtown st pete, but i think it rides on the roads..which wouldnt make getting back to your car any faster with all the traffic on gamedays

[Juice813]

Location really isnt that bad....I-4 to 275, over the H.Franklin through Pinellas Park, and you're right there. Shouldnt be more then 20 minutes. That's not bad if you ask me. Maybe during the week days during rush hour, but to be honest, once you get past Dale Mabry, it's a breeze.

Parking I can see...personally, from that distance, I'd much rather prefer to park at Bay Walk, walk down(really not that bad a walk) then Im right there at Wet Willies right after the game. Great Success. I can see parking going up(especially compare to now, free) but thats only cause there's nothing there besides parking garages.

I watch the virutal tour Rock Riley and them did and although the stadium looks good, its not a top priority...a winning team is...and I still dont get the outdoor in Fl...yeah the sail will block the sun, but St Pete is notorious for lightning during the summer and it just really makes little sense to have and open field(from my understanding, the sails only cover the stands, not the actual field.)

[crambone]

hmmmm....looks pritty nice