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News | Rays
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Forum is cool to Rays' plan
A park is the first choice. Keeping Al Lang rates as No. 2.
By Cristina Silva, Times Staff Writer
Published March 7, 2008
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Gary Jones facilitates a group discussion about possible uses for Al Lang Field and Tropicana Field during Thursday's public hearing at the Mahaffey Theater.
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[Times photo: Lara Cerri]
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In groups of 10, armed with markers and sugar cookies, more than 160 people gathered at the Mahaffey Theater on Thursday to plot the future of Al Lang Field. Some got creative, drawing in trees, flowers and fountains along a map of the park. Others stood up and yelled ideas across a table. They wanted a sculpture garden, a sports complex, an outdoor theater, an open market. "You could have Shakespeare in the park there," said Patt Drecchio. "My choice is 100 percent parkland," said Pete Brown. "No commercial, none," he said over and over. The Rays will vacate the historic ball park when they move spring games to Port Charlotte next year. They have a plan: convert Al Lang into a $450-million major league stadium. For one reason or another, it might not work out. During their introductory remarks, city leaders urged residents to get creative and come up with alternatives. "Think way outside the box," said Barbara Heck, president of the Council of Neighborhood Associations, which sponsored the forum. Joyce McCarty suggested Al Lang remain a spring training site. Beth Connor proposed the city steal the Morse Museum of American Art from Winter Park and open a new museum at Al Lang. Also, she wanted a baseball museum. "I definitely want to see baseball there because of all the history," said Justin Elza. Felix Fudge thought the Rays' plan sounded swell, but he was outnumbered by the propark people at his table. "I didn't agree with my table," he announced to the room. "But it is a democracy." At night's end, the city staff unofficially totaled the ideas. Those in favor of converting Al Lang into a park won with only a slight edge over those in favor of keeping it just as it is. Opponents of the Ray's proposed stadium said the message was clear. "This was clearly a mandate for not having that stadium here," said Hal Freedman, a downtown resident who first asked the city to turn Al Lang into parkland in August. "The people have spoken."
[Last modified March 7, 2008, 11:59:52]
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Comments on this article
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by Mark
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03/11/08 08:37 PM
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Do any of you remember Webb City? After Mr. Webb died, the whole city of St. Pete. died. And the old people was dumping dirt on top. Now guess who's holding the shovel again. The young working class(25-50) need to get involve in the city's affairs.
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by Joe
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03/11/08 01:37 PM
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They should buy USF St Pete Campus and make a parking garage out of it. The school is going to go under in 30 days anyway.
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by Brian
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03/09/08 08:22 PM
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Go Rays! Let's build this stadium! It's a win-win situation. The whiners of St. Pete need to stop being little thinkers. We could have a great upscale shopping area by the Trop and a beautiful waterfront stadium that will impress the whole country.
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by Gadfly
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03/08/08 05:02 PM
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If this issue goes to a vote it is going to be ugly. The Rays and their supporters will get a shellacking the likes this City has never seen before. The margins won by the airport will look mild compared to the lopsided vote which is coming.
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by Stephen
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03/08/08 12:33 PM
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Realistic, I don't believe the proposal for the new stadium called for AC, but rather an overarching canopy that could roll back that would reduce the temperature 8-11 degrees for spectators.
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by Ron
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03/08/08 10:36 AM
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Make it a park, a museum, or anything you want. The Trop is a perfectly fine place to play. If you haven't noticed lately, the Trop has been painted lately and it looks beautiful with 2 shades of blue all over and Ball Bats lining the exterior wall.
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by Ron
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03/08/08 10:33 AM
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John is one of those that won't come to the Rays game because he'd have to cross the bridge. But he expects us to go over there to see the pathetic Bucs and Lightning on their slide to obscurity. Stay over there John, we don't need you.
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by Paul
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03/08/08 09:42 AM
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What's with all the concern over 'making' downtown a destination?! It already IS a destination. I work there and live very close by and there are lots of people there day and night. A megaplex and 320 ft pole? Talk about UGLY and trashy.
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by Justin E
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03/08/08 09:36 AM
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It's interesting, most of the people for the new stadium keep making tasteless remarks when arguing their case. They insult people who want to protect St Pete, elderly, the environment, etc. I think what they say says more about them than anything.
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by kyle
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03/08/08 05:56 AM
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Baywalk isn't safe. How will the redev. of the Trop site be any different? it will be 60 times the size of baywalk.
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by Ron
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03/08/08 01:11 AM
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The Rays need to stay at the Trop. There's absolutely nothing wrong with it. If you've driven by it lately, you'd see how beautiful it is looking. New blue painted sections and Bats lining the exterior. I cant wait to see the inside on opening day!
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by Ron
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03/08/08 01:07 AM
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Who cares what John says? He is one of the jerks from Tampa that thinks we should go to Tampa for the Bucs and the Lightning but won't get in his car to go to the Rays game because then HE would have to cross the bridge! Selfish SOB.
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by Realistic
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03/07/08 06:18 PM
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LL will have the same problem as in Gulfport. Not enough room to grow. New stadium would make downtown St. Pete a a destination. Arizona runs A/C and opens the roof in 110 degrees. Sorry greenies. AC will be a part of a new park...open air or closed
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by JP
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03/07/08 04:32 PM
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YOu mean, "where coaches and parents ruin their kids arms by having them throw so many breaking pitches at age 12!" Time for the Rays to have a real stadium, and not some piece of crap.
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by PS
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03/07/08 03:33 PM
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Little League in Al Lang!!! I can see it now. Instead of St. Pete being "God's waiting room," it can be "St. Pete...where future Hall of Famers play!"
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by Justin E
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03/07/08 03:23 PM
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Yeah John I agree, lets turn St Pete into Tampa, city of the future!
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by Dennis
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03/07/08 02:43 PM
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If we replace the stadium with a park, even fewer people will enjoy it. Whatever it is, it needs to be a draw to downtown. Museums are fine, but again, it is not much of a regular draw, how many times can one person go to the same museum.
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by John
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03/07/08 02:29 PM
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Give us a vote in Hillsborough or release the Rays from their contract. We want the Rays and we'll support them rather than constantly complaining about them. You hicks can only see the past, not the future. Enjoy your dog park.
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by Glen
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03/07/08 02:14 PM
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We (citizens) have come out in numbers two times to tell the city NO on the mayor's stadium scheme. How hard is to for our elected officials to understand? Not now, not later,never on our waterfront. Don't ask us again, the answer won't change. NO.
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by Adam
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03/07/08 02:05 PM
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I support the Rays' proposal, but if that doesn't happen, a youth sports complex, maybe to include Little League regionals, wouldn't be a bad idea.
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by Frank
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03/07/08 01:48 PM
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Sal and Kevin, you seem upset by the small number who attended the meeting. If it was important to Rays supporters, where were they? Or are they so sure the stadium is a done deal, they did not feel the need to attend? Or, don't they live here?
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by SB
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03/07/08 01:24 PM
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PS..thats a great idea!! there are so many other uses for Al Lang if the city would just open their eyes and not their checkbooks..
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by Scot
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03/07/08 01:19 PM
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I think the rays should just do renivations to the trop to make the dome roof open and close depending on weather outside.It's a really nice place to be in the middle of the summer instead of out in sweltering heat like people in Miami have had.
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by CharlieRay
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03/07/08 12:23 PM
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Hello Why don't you post my coments?????
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by Paul
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03/07/08 10:50 AM
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Now there's a brilliant idea! Make Al Lang a Little League world class stadium, based on the long standing history of all the teams that have played there. Keep it just like it is, everyone is happy including me. The Rays owners can go to hell.
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by Rays Fan
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03/07/08 10:42 AM
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Yeah Pete learn the facts, its not like part of the Trop parking lot could be redeveloped to achieve that same objective. It's all or none, you're either for this plan or against education, so you must hate kids, right? Go Rays no matter what!
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by Rays Uber Alles
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03/07/08 10:40 AM
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I think the Rays should build a stadium twice that size and fill in even more of the Bay! They should attach it to a super Walmart where you can buy cheap stuff and watch baseball at the same time. Lets tear down some buildings also to make it work
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by Justin E
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03/07/08 10:25 AM
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PS, excellent idea! If kids could vote, THAT would win in a landslide victory, especially since it wouldn't cause any unnecessary environmental damage (funny, kids seem to care about that kind of stuff).
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by Marty S.
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03/07/08 10:21 AM
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PS, you may be onto something there. There's already adequate parking there (which there isn't in Gulfport). There's certainly more hotel space nearby for the visitors. I venture to say more people watch the LLWS than the Rays!
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by j ann
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03/07/08 10:18 AM
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Kevin, This was a well noticed meeting and every single citizen who wanted to participate was welcomed. The outcome was the citizens voice - not appointed by anyone - just folks who took the time to show up and give their 2 cents.
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by Kay
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03/07/08 10:17 AM
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PS, great idea! I would support that or we could try to intice another team to use Al Lang for Spring training. If it doesn't stay as is, an outdoor movie theater would be great for families.
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by PS
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03/07/08 09:55 AM
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How about the city pursue a permanent site for the Little League regionals that needs to move from Gulfport? What a perfect fit!!! Young ballplayers and their families in a world class waterfront park!
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by Ken
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03/07/08 09:31 AM
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SneakyPete is one of those folks who refuses to bother to learn the facts. Rays' proposal requires no new taxes, and redev of Trop site (which won't happen unless the new ballpark is built) would generate $millions in new county revenues for schools
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by Justin E
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03/07/08 09:09 AM
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Hey Gene, what does "professional Rays proposal opponent" mean? Is that a specific degree you can get? Graduate-level maybe? The way I see it, the only professionals are the "supporters" the Rays hired via TLS Media.
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by Keith H
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03/07/08 09:07 AM
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Most of us like the direction the RAYS are going including the new ballpark. My son asked me how old he would be when the new ballpark would open, I told him 11. If kid's could vote it would be a landslide victory for the Rays and all of us. Go RAYS
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