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St. Petersburg
/Tampa Bay Rays / 2012
(click on the
photo to see a larger version)
| Opening | April 2012 |
| Capacity | 35,000 |
| Number of Suites | 20 |
| Owner | City of St. Petersburg |
| Architect | HOK Sport |
| Ballpark Cost | $450 million |
| Location | Al Lang Field site, St. Pete waterfront |
The Tampa Bay Rays formally unveiled their plans for a new waterfront ballpark that could open as soon as 2012 if things go smoothly. The new ballpark, to be built on the current site of Al Lang Field, would seat around 35,000 and jut directly onto the waterfront, giving power hitters a chance to jack the ball into the water a la AT&T Park. The $450-million ballpark would be paid through $150 million paid in rent by the Rays, $60 million in proposed sales-tax rebates from the state, and the proceeds of the sale of the current Tropicana Field site. The design is interesting, to say the least: a 320-foot-high mast (which reminds us somewhat of the tower at Montreal's Olympic Stadium) supporting a fabric, sail-like covering that could provide shade to fans in the grandstand. As an added bonus, the mast would appear to be like the mast of a giant ship, perfect for a ballpark located on the bay. Also, interestingly, the HOK Sport design totally eschews anything retro: not a single brick will need to die to build the ballpark, and the emphasis is on sleek, nautical-like materials. If you're been at Al Lang Field you know it's located on a small site, but in reality it's not too small: the 15 acres projected for the ballpark site is larger than the site of the Minnesota Twins ballpark under construction and would have room for the ballpark, 45,000 square feet of retail space, a small parking garage and a terraced park. There are several things that need to happen before the new ballpark opens. First, St. Petersburg voters must approve a zoning change for the Al Lang Field site. Secondly, city officials would need to approve the sale of the Tropicana Field to private developers (the Rays are working with Hines on this already) and then balance some delicate financial matters: the city still owes over $100 million on Tropicana Field and the Rays want to some sort of tax-increment financing from the Trop redevelopment to pay for the new ballpark. Third, the state must approve $60 million in sales-tax rebates, but Rays officials say this isn't a crucial step, and approval would be iffy at best, even with the support of Gov. Charlie Crist.
Images courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays and HOK Sport.
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