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St. Pete Mayor Says MLS Interested In Using Future Tropicana Field Site For Stadium

St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman yesterday said that MLS is "interested in using the Tropicana Field site for a bigger soccer-orientated stadium that could host the Tampa Bay Rowdies and big soccer-related events, such as a world tournament," according to a front-page piece by Johnston & Smith of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. His idea would "come into play" if the Rays were to leave St. Petersburg for a new ballpark. A spokesperson for the mayor later "clarified that statement to make sure everyone knew Kriseman was referring to future development at the Trop site -- rather than using the dome itself for soccer." Tropicana Field's 85-acres are perhaps the "most valuable piece of downtown real estate in the bay area." Whether the Rays "stay or leave the city, their old home seems destined for redevelopment." Kriseman, appearing on WDAE-AM, said MLS Commissioner Don Garber was "excited and intrigued" by the Trop site. But after Kriseman's interview, both MLS and the USL Rowdies "released statements that basically said: Not so fast." Rowdies Owner Bill Edwards said in a statement his team's current downtown home, Al Lang Stadium, was the site "submitted to MLS and voted on by the citizens of St. Petersburg ... I never considered the Tropicana Field site as I support the Rays redeveloping and remaining at that location." Johnston & Smith note Kriseman is currently "locked in a re-election battle with former Mayor Rick Baker, who works for Edwards and was the public face of the Rowdies' referendum" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 8/2).

CAN YOU HANDLE IT? Tampa-based WTSP-CBS' Noah Pransky wrote downtown St. Petersburg "may be booming, but in an already-saturated professional sports market with few Fortune 500 companies," the city may be "hard-pressed to support another major league-level team." During recent sit-down interviews, both Kriseman and Baker said that they "thought the city could support two pro teams." However, the Rays have "complained about a lack of corporate support for years and disposable income levels around Tampa Bay remain among the lowest in the nation’s large metros" (WTSP.com, 8/1).

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