Lots of Ballpark Planning in Play as St. Petersburg Plots to Keep the Tampa Bay Rays

With no shot at a new ballpark in Tampa, and pressure mounting to relocate the team to Portland, Oregon, among other possibilities, the Tampa Bay Rays could still end up at a new location in St. Petersburg.

1 minute read

December 21, 2018, 12:00 PM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


St. Petersburg

Felix Mizioznikov / Shutterstock

"With plans for an Ybor City ballpark trashed by Major League Baseball and buried by the team, any hope for building a local home for the Tampa Bay Rays now appears focused on St. Petersburg," report Charlie Frago and Josh Solomon.

Meanwhile the city of Portland in Oregon is also working up plans for a waterfront ballpark to lure the team westward. Other cities, Montreal, Las Vegas, Charlotte, San Antonio and Nashville, are also considered in the running to land the team, according to the article.

The city of St. Petersburg is already plotting what to do next with the current home of the Tampa Bay Rays, which sits on prime redevelopment land. That Tropicana Field property is a key bargaining chip in the city of St. Petersburg's moves to keep the team in the city. If and when the team's three-year window to look at other stadium locations expires at the end of the year, the team will likely be locked into its lease of Tropicana Field until 2027.

Friday, December 14, 2018 in Tampa Bay Times

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

High-rise apartment buildings in Waikiki, Hawaii with steep green mountains in background.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss

The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

April 6, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Blue and white Seattle Link light rail train exiting concrete Downtown Bellevue Tunnel in Bellevue, WA.

Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?

Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.

April 7, 2025 - Todd Litman

A line of white wind turbines surrounded by wheat and soybean fields with a cloudy blue sky in the background.

Wind Energy on the Rise Despite Federal Policy Reversal

The Trump administration is revoking federal support for renewable energy, but demand for new projects continues unabated.

April 15 - Fast Company

Red and white Caltrain train.

Passengers Flock to Caltrain After Electrification

The new electric trains are running faster and more reliably, leading to strong ridership growth on the Bay Area rail system.

April 15 - Office of Governor Gavin Newsom

View up at brick Catholic church towers and modern high-rise buildings.

Texas Churches Rally Behind ‘Yes in God’s Back Yard’ Legislation

Religious leaders want the state to reduce zoning regulations to streamline leasing church-owned land to housing developers.

April 15 - NBC Dallas