St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said that the city is “ready to pivot” if plans for a new Rays ballpark and redevelopment around it “fall apart,” according to Colleen Wright of the TAMPA BAY TIMES. Welch said that the city “has other options if the Rays decide to walk away from a sweeping plan” to build a $1.3B ballpark and Historic Gas Plant District, as the city “would retain valuable downtown land.” Wright noted that Welch has “staked his political career on doing what no mayor on either side of Tampa Bay could get done: build a stadium for the team and keep the franchise around for another 30 years.” But Tuesday was the first time Welch “publicly signaled the deal that he has consistently and confidently described as a generational redevelopment project for his hometown could be in peril.” Welch said the city “will not pursue the deal at any cost.” Wright notes the Rays have until March 31 to “move forward with the plan celebrated last summer.” If not, the team “would be in default on its agreements with the city.” When asked if Welch would consider another deal with the Rays, he said that it was a “‘painstaking process’ to get to the agreements in hand.” Welch added for the Rays to now say the deal does not make sense “would undermine any efforts moving forward” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 2/4).
St. Pete mayor says city is ‘ready to pivot’ if Rays backout of ballpark deal
