The voters wanted it and the voters got it.
St. Petersburg voters overwhelmingly said “yes” to allow the Tampa Bay Rowdies to negotiate a 25-year lease for their home stadium of Al Lang, which also includes major renovations.
The tallied votes showed over 87 percent of voters wanted to see the Rowdies take control of the former baseball stadium and modify it to meet standards set by Major League Soccer in order to lure the league to St. Petersburg.
“I never would have guessed [a winning margin of] 87 percent,” said Bill Edwards Group president and former St. Petersburg mayor Rick Baker.
Bill Edwards Group, majority owners of the Tampa Bay Rowdies, are now able to enter into negotiations that will include a use agreement that must be approved by the St. Petersburg City Council. That document will pave the way for the team to privately fund renovations bringing the current stadium to the 18,000 seats required for MLS selection.
“MLS commissioner Don Garber has seen our plan, he has been out to the site and has had nothing but good things to say about it,” Baker said.
MLS is looking for four things when considering cities for the league, Baker said: a strong ownership group (check), a strong media market (check), community support (check) and a strong stadium plan (finally — check).
“We just had 87 percent of the votes. I don’t know what more we can do for community support to show MLS we’re serious,” Baker said.
There’s also support from neighboring communities across the Bay area by way of letters from mayors of Tampa, Clearwater and other communities, as well as from some 250 businesses.
“We have got to live in the coolest place in America,” Baker said. “I have to believe that.”
While optimism runs strong, nothing is certain.
The Rowdies are contending for one of four MLS extension team slots alongside the likes of Cincinnati, Detroit, San Diego, Sacramento and the Carolinas.
The May 2 referendum merely allows the team to negotiate the use agreement. The project required a referendum because the stadium is on city land.
It is unclear when negotiations will begin, but the city and the club appear to be on the same side.
“I am thrilled with the outcome of the referendum,” St. Petersburg City Council Chair Darden Rice said. “This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity for our city.”
Yet while 24,000 voters said yes, nearly 3,500 voters did not — and most of the eligible voters in the city didn’t bother to weigh in at all.
And even some of the project’s supporters have concerns.
Douglas O’Dowd is a 28-year resident of St. Petersburg who voted yes. He said he thinks it’s a great opportunity to have private funding for something that could benefit the city. But he hopes the city will keep its promise that no taxpayer dollars will go to it.
“They need to step up to the plate and keep within the confines they set,“ he said.
For now, the Rowdies will continue their play in the United Soccer League, where they’re currently tied for first place in the Eastern Conference. MLS’s decision now hinges on attendance and community support.
This article appears in Apr 27 – May 4, 2017.