The deal between the Tampa Sports Authority (TSA) and the Buccaneers to renovate Raymond James Stadium "makes a lopsided arrangement slightly less lopsided," according to a front-page piece by Steve Cortorno of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The pact "not only paves the way for an ambitious upgrade of the 17-year-old stadium, but also makes several important tweaks" to the original '96 agreement to build and lease the venue. Those contractual concessions "could save taxpayers money in the long run," but they "come at a price," as the public will pay $29M out of the planned $87M renovation. Of that $29M, the TSA was "already required to pay" $26M in maintenance and repairs as part of the original deal. The parameters of that deal were "so tilted" toward the Glazer family, which owns the team. that the TSA "actually saves a quarter million dollars when the Bucs play home games in London," like in '09 and '11. The new deal "won't dramatically change that dynamic." Advocates of the new deal, including Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, said that it "will do more for the community in the long run." Advocates of the new deal said that renovations, "including state-of-the-art scoreboards and video screens and upgrades to the concourses, concessions and luxury boxes, will put the stadium on course to host big-name concerts, NCAA postseason football games and -- the big prize driving many of these changes -- a Super Bowl." Those events "have the potential to bring in serious tourism dollars and put the bay area in the national spotlight." There also is optimism that the new pact "signals the Bucs' long-term commitment to Tampa by agreeing to pay" $58M of team money -- and potentially another $13M -- to improve the stadium (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 12/23).
