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The money is there for the makingBy HELEN HUNTLEY © St. Petersburg Times, published April 1, 1998 Tropicana Field's entrepreneurial neighbors were out selling parking spaces, hot dogs and Devil Rays souvenirs. Tom Mumford gave employees at the Rip Shop the afternoon off and waved fans into the parking lot of his canvas repair shop at 1663 First Ave. S. More than two hours before the first pitch, all 65 spots were filled. He collected $10 a car, twice the rate he charged for Tampa Bay Lightning games. "I think it's great baseball is finally here," said Mumford, who brought in a steel drum act to entertain friends and passers-by. "It's nice to have the parking to defray some of our overhead." Down the street, Beverly Hughley made $32 selling the four parking spaces in front of her apartment building on First Avenue S for $8 apiece. "We're catching the devil just trying to pay rent so we thought we could use some extra dollars," she said. Hughley said the Stadium Apartments' tenants plan to take turns selling the spaces. "Anything is better than nothing," said Paul Wagner, owner of Pinellas Wholesale Meats, 201 16th St. S, who was selling parking spots across from Tropicana Field. "We don't advertise. We just stick a man out there and catch what we can catch." Frank Schnorrbusch, who runs Franks Sports Cards Center in northwest St. Petersburg, rented a storefront at 1425 Central Ave., where he did a brisk business Tuesday afternoon selling $10 posters and $35 souvenir balls. Acrylic ticket protectors for $10 apiece were the hot item at the street-corner table Rick Horvath had set up at Central Avenue and 16th Street for a friend's shop, Sports at Central. He had his own opening day ticket displayed for customers. Doreen Saccardo sold cigars for $2 to $7 each across from Tropicana Field. "We did it at the Kentucky-Duke (basketball) game and it worked out great, so we came back," said Saccardo, who works for Tequesta Cigars in Miami. She said the company wants to get more exposure for the Tequesta brand. Action Graphics, 1745 First Ave. S, sold 14 parking spaces at $10 each and tried to entice fans walking by on their way to the game with a rack of $15 Devil Rays T-shirts. "It's going to be a nice little side income for us," said Tom Gross, production manager. Nick Lalios, who set up his hot dog cart at Eighth Street and First Avenue S, did a modest business before the game. A city ordinance, which is under review, prohibits pushcarts west of Eighth Street. If spots open closer to Tropicana Field, Lalios said he hopes to snag one. "This is like a dream come true for me," he said. Lalios said he quit his restaurant job in February to devote all his time -- split between Largo Central Park and downtown St. Petersburg -- to the pushcart business. Some businesses will have lots open tonight that were not open Tuesday because the game's early starting time created a conflict with business. Among them is Times Publishing Co., which has a lot on the shuttle line at Fourth Street and Fourth Avenue S. The 189 spaces will be available for $6 each. "We're excited about baseball," said Mark Moore, manager of the AAA Auto Club South office at 800 Second Ave. S. The AAA lot will be open to fans for night and weekend games. Moore said the parking charge will start at $10 and adjust to whatever turns out to be "the going rate" for the area. It also will offer $2 discounts for members. However, some businesses around the field are skeptical about the parking business. "I don't know if it's worth it," said Rick Greenman, manager of Central Transmission at 1560 Central Ave. "I'm here 12 hours a day as it is. I can make more money fixing transmissions than I can parking cars." Franklin Templeton Investor Services Inc. also decided not to get into the parking business, although it owns large lots near Tropicana Field.
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ince Naimoli and his partners weren't the only ones collecting money from baseball fans Tuesday afternoon.
