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Letter to the editor

Rays hear ideas for the Trop

The team hosts 331 residents intent on discussing the site's future.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published January 10, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG -- In right field, on the spongy fake grass, beneath an advertisement for Pepsi and another for Budweiser, an eclectic mix of 331 residents plotted a potential future for Tropicana Field on Wednesday.

The discussion was robust. Passionate, but not hostile.

The ideas were endless.

Unanimity, however, was not to be found.

"It's nice that they actually asked us what we thought," said Janet Dunne, a downtown resident who supports growth -- in moderation.

In groups of 10, the residents were armed with markers and asked to draw the future of the 86 acres along First Avenue S and 16th Street.

The groups mixed politicians and developers, lawyers and environmental activists. Two people protested outside the Trop.

One woman protested inside.

Joan Martin, a 68-year-old St. Petersburg resident, created a necklace in yellow that said "Save the Dome." She held a pink sign in her hand to match.

She was seated at the same table as Craig Sher, the president of the Sembler Co. and one of the people interested in developing the Tampa Bay Rays' current home.

As Sher talked about the possibilities for the site -- from retail to office to affordable housing -- Martin recalled an event at the domed stadium that drew exercise guru Richard Simmons.

"It was packed," she said. "Where would we go if the dome was gone?"

Sher talked about the possibility of office space.

"Dime a dozen," Martin chimed in.

Someone else talked about housing.

"Dime a dozen," she said again.

At one point, Martin stood on her seat and waved her sign.

For the most part, people were cautious about replacing Tropicana Field, which opened in 1990. But many were at least open to the idea.

The Rays want to build a $450-million stadium on the site of Al Lang Field. To pay for it, they propose redeveloping Tropicana Field and its adjacent parking lots. The team also would contribute $150-million to construction through yearly lease payments.

"This is a suburban baseball park in an urban area," former City Council member Jay Lasita told his group seated at Table 30. "The whole proposition, the Rays' proposition, deserves a reasonable discussion. Not just a gut reaction."

"I'm a baseball fan, but I like the idea of a dome," Cory Calvin said to a group at a table nearby.

Gail Eggeman, a former city employee who lives just near BayWalk in downtown St. Petersburg, said she was excited at the prospect of redeveloping the Tropicana Field site, but she would like it better if the Rays relocated closer to the Gandy Bridge area.

"They lit up my mind about what could happen if there was no baseball," Eggeman said.

During their introductory remarks, both Mayor Rick Baker and City Council Chairman Jamie Bennett took great pains to make clear that they have not endorsed or agreed to any of the Rays' requests.

The Rays say they haven't agreed to anything, either. They believe their plan is feasible, team president Matt Silverman said. But they also admit it may not work.

On Wednesday, team and city officials began their search for answers. Council members will decide on Jan. 17 whether to solicit developer proposals for the Tropicana Field site.

"This is an information gathering process," Baker said. "The city and I have not committed to either opposing this project or supporting this project. I believe all of our jobs is to gather as much information as we can."

Times staff writer Stephanie Garry contributed to this report.

Fast facts: Tropicana Field's future
People were asked to rank five potential land uses for the Tropicana site, and another five design principles for the redevelopment. Among land use ideas, residential and retail were chosen as favorites. The top two design principles: pedestrian friendly and mid-rised, mixed use.

[Last modified January 10, 2008, 00:29:12]