The Tampa City Council voted to approve a Hillsborough
County Commission plan to build "a stripped-down stadium"
for $154.2M if former Tampa Mayor Bill Poe wins a FL Supreme
Court appeal against the Bucs' lease, according to Joe
Henderson of the TAMPA TRIBUNE. Also approved was a $9.7M
loan to continue building the stadium as the existing
construction fund "will be depleted in about a week."
Officials want to "avoid future threatened shutdowns" by
building the new "community stadium" version without luxury
suites and "upscale" seating requested by the Bucs (TAMPA
TRIBUNE, 4/18). The Tampa Sports Authority's Henry Saavedra
said that he "felt sure" that the "community stadium" could
be built for $154.2M and that it "could cover" operating
expenses for its first 10 years if the Bucs did not play
there (Richard Danielson, ST. PETERSBURG TIMES, 4/18).
PRO FORMA: Poe filed his appeal claiming that the Bucs'
stadium project "be halted permanently." Hillsborough
County, the City of Tampa and the TSA have until April 28 to
respond to the appeal (TAMPA TRIBUNE, 4/18).