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Letter to the editor

Idea of Al Lang as park pauses

Hinging a decision on Tropicana Field irritates some.

By CRISTINA SILVA, Times Staff Writer
Published January 16, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG

Efforts to preserve Al Lang Field as parkland have been tabled until at least June, when city officials say they will know whether the redevelopment of Tropicana Field would help cover the cost of building a major league baseball stadium at the site.

The delay comes as a shock to community activists, who say they were promised in August that the City Council would consider converting Al Lang to a park.

Instead, city officials will vote Thursday on a proposal to redevelop Tropicana Field as an urban village with retail, new parkland and hundreds of new residences.

If approved, that plan could be sent out to developers for bidding as early as this week.

"We are waiting to see how events unfold," said council chairman Jamie Bennett. "We completely understand the passion that people have for their waterfront property. We have seen it disappear over the years. But we don't want anymore confusion than there already is."

But community activists say that by moving forward first with the Rays proposal, city officials give the appearance that they have already made up their minds about Al Lang's future.

"It certainly sounds contradictory for the city to say that they can't move forward on this piece of property without more open discussion," said Will Michaels, vice president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations.

"Obviously you want to give careful thought and consideration to how the property is used, but if you are going to make that argument, that argument should be used when you are talking about the Rays' proposal on the waterfront as well," he said.

Neighborhood leaders asked the City Council to consider including Al Lang Field in the city's collection of waterfront parks in August. At the time, the city was revamping its 30-year-old zoning guidelines.

A string of parks along Tampa Bay were rezoned as protected parkland, but city staffers said they did not want to address the Al Lang site without more public discussion.

The City Council promised to look into the issue. Then in November, the St. Petersburg Times reported that city administrators and the Tampa Bay Rays had secretly been discussing the possibility of building a $450-million professional baseball stadium at Al Lang Field.

"Council members heard the community speak, and we were very open to the idea at that time, but that was before any of the Rays' activities came to light," Bennett explained. "It is not that we are endorsing the stadium or anything. There are members of the community that are saying, 'Hey, we like the idea. Let's check it out.' We are trying to remain in the middle and look out for the best interest of this city."

Al Lang, which was formerly used for training by the Rays, is leased to the team until 2009. The city-owned land is zoned as a multiuse commercial site. Nearly anything from a bank to a hotel can be constructed there.

Community leaders say they want the area to be designated as parkland so that it will be preserved for future generations. Any major development of a public waterfront park must go before voters.

"Public waterfront property is an incredible resource and should be maintained as a resource that the public has access to," said Peter Belmont, a member of the downtown neighborhood association.

"To me, it seems pretty clear that it should be a park."

Cristina Silva can be reached at (727) 893-8846 or csilva@sptimes.com.

[Last modified January 15, 2008, 22:54:34]