Rays Owner Stuart Sternberg on Thursday said that he "remains committed to the Tampa Bay market and confident -- 'at some point'" -- that a new ballpark will be built there, according to Marc Topkin of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Sternberg: "I still believe in the area. ... I believe in it and I want to make it work. But it's got to be in the right spot." He added, "We might find out it's impossible and that it can't be done and there's no place that works. But I personally believe it can." Sternberg: "I think [St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman] is looking out for the citizens of St. Petersburg recognizing having baseball in their midst, whether it's in St. Petersburg or Pinellas or Tampa, is in the best interests of the citizens of St. Petersburg. I just don't know exactly why the Council people feel it's not in the citizens of St. Petersburg's best interests to get the (Trop site) land back, develop that land, have a bunch of taxes coming in, create construction jobs, create long-term jobs, still have baseball within your midst, and guarantee that baseball is going to be here" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 3/20).
HERE COMES THE SUNTRUST: Cobb County (Ga.) Commission Chair Tim Lee on Thursday said that the Braves are spending an estimated $10M "each month on construction" of SunTrust Park, set to open in '17. He added that the project has "brought 5,000 temporary construction jobs to the county." Lee said that the job growth "will continue" with 3,000 at the ballpark, 1,300 at the mixed-use development around the venue and 1,000 at Comcast's new regional HQ (MARIETTA DAILY JOURNAL, 3/20).
