St. Petersburg Times - December 21, 2007

Public ballpark meeting planned

The public forum next month will address concerns.

By AARON SHAROCKMAN, Times Staff Writer
Published December 21, 2007

ST. PETERSBURG - Got questions about that new ballpark the Tampa Bay Rays want to build on the waterfront?

City and team executives said Thursday that they plan to hold a public forum next month to address many of the lingering questions about the Rays' $1-billion redevelopment and stadium proposal.

Both groups cautioned, however, that they won't have all the answers.

The forum will be held Jan. 9, likely at Tropicana Field, according to senior city economic development administrator Rick Mussett. A specific time has not been set.

The announcement Thursday came after concerns from neighborhood leaders that the proposal was not being discussed and debated publicly.

Leaders from the city's Council of Neighborhood Associations presented a resolution to the City Council requesting a more open process.

"We want the Rays proposal to be a successful one," said Will Michaels, a CONA board member. "In order to do that, it needs a full public review."

The Rays already have met privately with CONA and several other neighborhood groups. Public meetings are scheduled starting next month, said Michael Kalt, the Rays' senior vice president for development and business affairs.

The proposal "has got to be something everyone believes in and everyone can get behind," Kalt said. "We are looking for true community inclusiveness."

The Rays proposal is complex. It consists of building a new 34,000-seat ballpark at the site of Al Lang Field. Construction of the $450-million ballpark would be financed in large part by the successful redevelopment of Tropicana Field.

The deal, however, is contingent on a citywide referendum. The Rays are targeting a November 2008 vote.

The Rays and the city are planning a Jan. 9 public forum to discuss the proposed stadium redevelopment plan. The Rays say details, when they're available, will be posted on the Rays' Web site, www.majorleaguedowntown.com.

Fast facts

On the Web

The Rays and the city are planning a Jan. 9 public forum to discuss the proposed stadium redevelopment plan. The Rays say details, when they're available, will be posted on the Rays' stadium Web site, www.majorleaguedowntown.com.