Trop's key player remains in dark

The Pinellas commission, which owns the stadium, has yet to hear from the Rays.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published December 13, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - The Tampa Bay Rays admit their plan to build a new $450-million waterfront stadium hinges on the successful redevelopment of Tropicana Field.

Yet in the weeks since their proposal became public, the Rays have not formally approached the actual owners of the 86-acre Trop site tucked between Interstate 275 and Interstate 175.

The County Commission is growing impatient.

"The county's a major player in this," County Commissioner Ken Welch said this week. "You would think we would be one of the first ones briefed."

Though the land for the stadium was acquired largely by the city of St. Petersburg, which mostly paid to build it, Tropicana Field for the last five years has been the property of Pinellas County.

And while St. Petersburg voters may ultimately decide the Rays' fate, the county government is as much of a stakeholder in what happens at the Tropicana site.

The county already has invested $75.5-million into Tropicana Field. By 2015, Pinellas will have contributed a total of $117.9-million

Rays executives said they had planned on meeting individually with county commissioners ahead of a public announcement.

But news of the Rays' intentions first leaked out on the St. Petersburg Times' Web site, www.tampabay.com.

Rays senior vice president Michael Kalt has met with each commissioner in the time since, and more private meetings are planned, but no public dialogue has been scheduled, officials said.

"I don't want to be backed into a corner by the Rays," said Commissioner Karen Seel. "I want to know how we feel about this proposal moving forward."

The county's role

For the Rays' plan to work, the team would have to acquire several agreements from county commissioners. Among them:

-The financing structure of the new stadium if it includes county tourism tax dollars.

-A plan to pay off the existing county debt on Tropicana Field, which isn't set to expire until 2015.

-An agreement for the county to take ownership of the new stadium so the city could avoid a property tax bill. That's why, since 2002, the county has owned the Trop.

-And a change in the city's downtown master plan to allow for the Tropicana redevelopment - a regulatory move that requires county approval.

Each piece is as important as the next, and any could derail the Rays' stadium proposal.

But county commissioners say that there has been little talk of any the county's considerations.

"We're not sure what we're being asked to do, but we know we have a critical role to play," said Welch, who expects to meet privately with Rays executives today.

The most difficult decisions will surround finances.

The county spends $5-million a year from hotel taxes to pay off debt at Tropicana Field.

Those payments will not stop until 2015, three years after the Rays propose opening a new stadium at Al Lang Field.

It's unclear if the Rays or the city will ask for those payments to continue or if the Rays would ask that the payments be extended to finance the new ballpark.

Lee Daniel, assistant director of the St. Petersburg/Clearwater Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the county has not discussed the hotel tax with team officials. The hotel tax money cannot be spent on general government services, Daniel said, making it a possible target for the Rays.

"They've made no request to discuss anything," Daniel said.

Property taxes may be in play

The Rays also have said they intend to seek city and county property tax revenue generated by the redevelopment of the Tropicana site, based on a program called tax increment financing.

The county would have to agree to allocate the tax dollars toward stadium construction, but that may not be the most substantial hurdle.

A recent ruling of the Florida Supreme Court prohibits governments from issuing bonds backed by tax increment revenues without first holding a referendum. That ruling is being challenged.

But at question in the Rays' case is whether a potential referendum would be in St. Petersburg or in all of Pinellas County.

"We're not sure yet," said Rick Mussett, a senior development administrator with the city of St. Petersburg. "We've had legal opinions, but no one's really sure - including our attorneys."

The answer would change the dynamic and possibly the outcome of the team's pursuit. The team knows it will have a difficult time convincing St. Petersburg voters to embrace the plan.

Expanding that formula countywide could create new challenges.

"Whatever comes forth, the city and the county need to work together," said Barbara Sheen Todd, a former Pinellas County commissioner. "But I can tell you the county won't be jumping up and down until they know what is proposed."

Aaron Sharockman can be reached at asharockman@sptimes.com or 727 892-2273.

Fast facts

Whose land is it?

The Rays? No. The Rays are proposing to redevelop the Tropicana Field and its massive parking lots, but they do not own the land; they have a lease.

The city? No. The city acquired the property and built the dome, but it doesn't own the land anymore.

The county?Yes. Kind of. The 86-acre site is actually property of Pinellas County, which purchased the land for $1 in 2002. The deal was necessary so the city could avoid property taxes. (The county doesn't pay taxes, either.)

There's a big but. The deal calls for the city to regain ownership if baseball wasn't being played there.

[Last modified December 13, 2007, 06:41:26]