A new waterfront ballpark site in St. Petersburg, known as Snug Harbor, is the "latest fresh face in a parade of locations" for the Rays, according to a front-page piece by Frago & Puente of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. At 39 acres, it is "large enough for a stadium and all the extras the Rays envision." The location is also in a county, Pinellas, that has already "reserved bed tax money for a new ballpark." Rays Senior VP/Strategy & Development Melanie Lenz said, "This is certainly one of many sites that we're taking a serious look at." Lenz said that the team "learned of the site a few months ago." Colliers Int'l Tampa Bay is marketing the property for $30M and calling it a "one of a kind development opportunity in Tampa Bay." The property was not on the list of 10 locations "recently touted by Pinellas County officials." However, county commissioners asked staffers to "add more St. Petersburg parcels to the list, even though Mayor Rick Kriseman favors Tropicana Field." St. Petersburg Area Chamber Chair Greg Holden said that the organization "supports Kriseman's plan, but approached" property owners Ronald and Deborah Roseman about the Snug Harbor site "because it wanted, above all, to keep the Rays in Pinellas County." But Snug Harbor "has drawbacks" such as being in a flood zone like "most of the other" potential ballpark sites. Snug Harbor also "isn't very close to a business center flush with working professionals looking to buy baseball tickets." St. Petersburg City Council member Jim Kennedy, a supporter of the Snug Harbor site, thinks that the Tropicana property is the "best place for the Rays." The Trop site is "city-owned and near the booming arts and entertainment districts" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 8/1).
