St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman unveiled the "request for proposals for the 86-acre Tropicana Field site after five years of discussion, formally opening the window for developers to bid on a construction project," according to Josh Solomon of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. The city "wants the Trop site -- the baseball stadium and parking lot that encompass more than 21 square city blocks -- to have the street grid system restored." Environmental remediation "may be necessary." And the city "wants the project to include mixed-income housing, office space, a high class hotel, a tech hub and parks." Developers will have "until Jan. 15, 2021 to submit proposals." The document did "not reveal anything new about the ongoing negotiations" between the city and the Rays over the team’s proposal to split home games between Montreal and the Tampa Bay area. The team’s lease of Tropicana Field expires in '27; after that, the Rays’ long-term home "remains uncertain." The city said that developers "must be flexible and submit plans that take into account scenarios with and without a ballpark." St. Pertersburg City Council member Darden Rice said that Rays President Brian Auld earlier this year "made clear to council members that the team was prepared to exercise its veto authority should it be forced to play full seasons in the Trop through the end of its lease" (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/28).
