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Take me out to ... the giant sail
The Rays envision a ballpark that would maximize views of the water and St. Petersburg’s skyline and would include a sail-like cover, anchored to a 320-foot-tall mast that could be used when it rains. “I like to think of it as a convertible top,” Rays president Matt Silverman said.
By TIMES STAFF
Published November 29, 2007
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| [Courtesy of Rays] Artist rendering of the new stadium. |
Ball Park
The vision:
When would it be finished?
If all goes according to plan, city voters would approve the deal in an election in November 2008, construction would start in spring 2009 and the stadium would open in spring 2012.
Timetable:
• November 2008: Public referendum
• March 2009: Groundbreaking at Tropicana Field site
• May 2009: Groundbreaking at Al Lang site
• March 2011: First phase of Tropicana site completed, with current ballpark still on site for 2011 season
• April 2012: New ballpark completed
 | The stadium would include not a single brick, making it one of the first of the new baseball parks to shun the popular “retro” style. |
| [Courtesy of Rays] | |
| The mast would support the sail-like covering and be a distinctive architectural touch. |  |
| | [Courtesy of Rays] |
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| [Courtesy of Rays] Near the stadium would be retail space, a small parking garage and a park. 
"We're talking about a major-league downtown." – Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg during a meeting with the Times editorial board, where he previewed the concept
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What are its defining features?
It would be the first baseball stadium in the country with a fabric, sail-like covering. It would provide shade and some rain protection and could be retracted in eight minutes. Some home runs to rightfield would land in Tampa Bay. The stadium would be built without a single brick, bucking the “retro” ballpark trend. A 2-acre park would be built north of the stadium.
Other features of the park:
• Goal was to design an iconic piece of architecture that wouldn’t overwhelm the waterfront or downtown
• Convertible top can be deployed in eight minutes
• Convertible top would be 200 feet above second base
• 10,000-seat upper deck
• Concourses would be air conditioned
• Ceiling fans and misters would be used throughout
• Rightfield line: 320 feet
• Power alley: 350 feet
Other features of the site:
It’s going to be tight, but by reorienting the field – so rightfield abuts the water – and extending Bayshore Drive into the bay it can fit with standard dimensions. To make it work, there would be no seats from the rightfield foul pole across to left-centerfield.
• 15 acres would include ballpark, 45,000 square feet of retail space, small parking garage, terraced park on the north side
• Encroaches 0.6 acres into Tampa Bay
• Would reroute Bayshore Boulevard
• Seeks to link crescent of public amenities along St. Petersburg’s waterfront
Tropicana Field
The vision
What would be built?
The developers envision a few major big-box retailers, including an outdoors merchandise store. A new park would be built along Booker Creek, and 900 residences would be constructed in the first phase. Several streets would mix smaller retail stores with housing, and the street grid interrupted by the Trop would be reconnected.
| The developer envisions a family entertainment area west of Booker Creek. |  |
| | [Courtesy of Rays] |
Who would pay for it?
Private developers would bid to purchase the land, and the revenue would help pay for the team’s new waterfront ballpark. Some of the taxes generated by the development would also be used to pay off the stadium. The Rays estimate the value of the completed Tropicana project to be as high as $700-million.
Is this project viable in this economic climate?
The Rays asked Hines Interests of Houston, a major developer, to advise them on development options. The city says the area can support significantly more retail development.
Details
• 85 acres
• 1-million square feet of retail space
• Outdoor retailer would anchor the site
• 900 housing units
• 14-acre park along Booker Creek
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| [Courtesy of Rays] Aerial view of Tropicana Field site. |
The Corridor: Hopes for downtown
 | Looking east on Second Avenue S, residences and green space replace the stadium and parking areas. |
| [Courtesy of Rays] | |
The vision:
• With a new stadium at the site of Progress Energy Park on the east end of downtown and a major mixed-use development at the site of Tropicana Field on the western edge, the team hopes to spark development in between.
• The streetscape interrupted by Tropicana Field would be reconnected, creating a more pedestrian-friendly downtown.
•Third Avenue S would become a “Main Street’’ style mix of retail and residential.
| An artist sees what is currently the Third Avenue S promenade leading to the Tropicana Field rotunda as a tree-lined retail strip with outdoor eating and trolleys. |  |
| | [Courtesy of Rays] |
[Last modified November 29, 2007, 06:51:56]
Share your thoughts on this story
Comments on this article
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by Terry
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01/07/08 06:06 AM
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700 million!...you could build a nuclear power plant that (almost).
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by Charles
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12/31/07 04:56 PM
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For selfish reasons I like the idea. $1 billion in new development is better than no development at all. New economic activity should help continue the overall improvement of our city. If the expenditure improves downtown, so much the better...
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by Bobby
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12/14/07 07:01 AM
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Someone once said there is fool born every minute,...I can count 10 of them in the comments here. Some fools will buy anything.
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by Chris
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12/10/07 06:36 PM
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This idea is fantastic! Imagine taking your kids here one day. It'll be the new Fenway. People a hundred years from now will talk about our ballpark!
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by bh
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12/02/07 07:48 AM
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I'v got a better idea, kick the ray's out of town, turn lang field into something more productive to produce town revenue and redevelope tropicana field into something to benefit the town,Citizens have been misled before resulting in more taxes
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by Adam
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11/30/07 12:05 AM
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Absolute home run! Alice, how were they sneaky? They're giving voters a year to decide. Al, downtown already has plenty of parking. Don't be afraid to walk or take a shuttle. David, private businesses have the right to develop business plans.
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by robert
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11/29/07 04:56 PM
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Al, the housing slump will not last forever. This is a great plan. Other cities could only wish for such a pretty location. This is an A plus for St. Petersburg and Florida!
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by Alice
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11/29/07 01:48 PM
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Like the plan,but I'll vote no due to sneaky way Rays & City tried to get around us. Hope enough will do that to send a message and then they can come back & approach us right way,not ramming down our overtaxed throats.Don't believe it won't cost us.
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by scott
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11/29/07 01:00 PM
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bravo, looks great but what excites me more is the pick up of are new pitcher..i think were are moving in the right direction.. now thats a committment
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by Al
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11/29/07 12:36 PM
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The first flaw in the plan is, developing AND SELLING 900 housing units. The housing market is still in the toilet and there's no end in sight. You want a deal? I've got "waterfront" property in South Florida I'll sell you. Bring your own boots.
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by Pete
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11/29/07 12:05 PM
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10,000 seat upper deck and a small parking garage? Hmmmm. Where are these 10,000 people supposed to park their SUVs?
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by D-Ray
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11/29/07 11:01 AM
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Couldn't agree more with Mark and Jim. An absolute HOME RUN!
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by Lauren
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11/29/07 10:12 AM
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What a beautiful design! I think this is a great idea, and I hope it goes through-I'll be there opening day in 2012 if it does!
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by Paul
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11/29/07 10:09 AM
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Sternberg: hey, i got a great idea how we can screw the people of st pete out of 70 acres and build a bunch of crap they'll never use. City of St Pete: ok, lets do it and not tell them, we got away with it before, we're snakes and don't have hearts.
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by Paul
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11/29/07 10:07 AM
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This is quite funny actually, kind of like the story of the emperor and his new clothes. They want to put up a sail to protect people? That will be great in a 30 knot wind, maybe it'll be strong enough to fly this turkey out of our city.
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by David
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11/29/07 09:30 AM
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I think the plans look great for Trops new look, but the Sailboat has to go. Its horrid. And who gave the Rays the right to assume that they can go ahead and make covert plans to develope the Trop site when they dont own it??? How much did THAT cost?
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by Mark
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11/29/07 08:54 AM
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Awesome!
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by Jim
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11/29/07 08:29 AM
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It would be awesome if this comes together.The Trop is the worst ballpark in the majors inside and out.It's too dark inside and the seats are too small.Outdoor Baseball here will be a tremendous home field advantage.
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