Maybe it was because we all went into the meeting knowing almost exactly where each council member stood, maybe it wasn't, but somehow, the debate over a deal that will allow the Tampa Bay Rays to explore potential stadium sites in Hillsborough County almost immediately lasted barely 90 minutes.
As expected, the council approved the agreement 5-3.
The development comes after a year of weighing the merits of letting the team explore other sites — as long as they're within the Tampa Bay area — and making the team pay up to $24 million if they leave before their agreement to play at Tropicana Field expires in 2027, and probably eight years of speculation and debate over how to deal with a team that wants to leave a stadium many considered dated and in a location that is not ideal.
It was a victory for St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman and for Tampa Bay Rays execs, the latter of which said they saw the deal as key in keeping the team in the region for the long term.
“It's a start. At the end of the day, this is a start,” said Rays owner Stu Sternberg, who then launched into a slew of baseball analogies we'll spare you here. “It's going to take a lot of work here, it's going to take a lot of agility and some smart thinking. We're pretty excited, obviously.”
The vote comes not even a week after Kriseman and St. Pete City Council Chair Amy Foster heralded the new deal that would allow the team to explore a potential move to Hillsborough. It's similar to a deal the council rejected in December, 2014. Unlike that deal, this one doesn't forfeit half the money made on redevelopment of the site, which the team would have been entitled to even if they left. If the team stays on the site, they could collect half; if they don't, no dice.
Those who supported the agreement saw it as a step forward in a yearlong debacle where there's been little advancement despite intense media scrutiny.
“I think we have an opportunity, an obligation and a responsibility to put our city in the best position possible as 2027 approaches," said Councilwoman Darden Rice. "And I think that whether we redevelop those 85 acres with the stadium or without, or whether the stadium will be in Pinellas County or a 30-minute drive over the bridge, I think all these different scenarios only mean the best for our city, but we've got to get started on it now and time is of the essence.”
Among those who approved the agreement were Rice, Foster, Councilman Karl Nurse, Councilman Charlie Gerdes and Councilwoman Lisa Wheeler-Brown (who was elected in November in a race many framed as being about the Rays despite the Trop not being in her district).
“I am very excited for our city,” Wheeler-Brown said. “The people in my community, they need jobs…they need to be able to feed their families and keep a roof over their heads. I am in support of this MOU and I'm ready to move forward.”
Those who didn't support the deal said they did so out of skepticism over whether the Rays could be trusted to negotiate fairly with the cities and counties involved, and whether the team would ultimately stay in the area.
“I understand that the Rays want to get out of this agreement with the city and I too have been frustrated with the lack of progress," said Councilman Ed Montanari, who has long been known as a "no" vote. “Unlike typical business agreement, I sometimes feel that we have been negotiating against ourselves as a city instead of negotiating from a position of strength.”
Both before and after Thursday's hearing, Rays execs tried to dispel those fears.
"It was a wonderful thing to be a part of. I truly believe that everyone was working with the best interests of those they represent and we were able to come up with an agreement that allows us to come up with a positive path forward," Auld said. "It allows the Rays to keep working on our mission, to energize our community to the magic of Rays baseball.”
This article appears in Jan 14-20, 2016.