Members of the St. Petersburg City Council were preparing a resolution that would extend the deadline by 90 days.
But on Wednesday, Mayor Ken Welch saved them the trouble.
Welch sent a letter to the council saying he will delay issuing a 30-day public notice of proposals to redevelop the 86-acre site until Jan. 4. That means developers have until one month later to submit their plans.
Several prominent developers have expressed an interest in re-imagining the Tropicana Field site. The Tampa Bay Rays walked away from an agreed redevelopment plan after Hurricane Milton tore through the dome's roof. The city agreed to repair the dome, and the team is set to return next season. They are contracted to play there through the end of the 2028 season.
Welch said any proposal must take into account the historically Black neighborhood called the Gas Plant District that was bulldozed to build the ballpark in the early 1980s.
"Honoring the promises made to our community, including the residents of the Historic Gas Plant District, has been a top priority of my administration and we continue to explore ways to pursue impactful outcomes that reflect the needs and aspirations of our residents,” Welch said in his original request for proposals. "I intend to ensure that any redevelopment reflects the values and priorities of our entire community – honoring our history while creating pathways for inclusive progress and a thriving future for all in our city.”
Welch said he did not believe reissuing a formal request for proposal for the site is needed.
"Our priorities ... have not changed, and have been confirmed by subsequent community convenings. Jobs, housing, equitable economic development, resilience, green space, meaningful recognition of the (Historic Gas Plant) community, and other priorities have consistently been the community’s goals for this development," Welch wrote Wednesday.
"The only material change from those principles is that the inclusion of a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays in partnership with Pinellas County is no longer instrumental in planning the redevelopment," Welch continued.
The Rays have expressed interest in moving the team to Tampa or Hillsborough County, which is the center of the region's population base.
On Wednesday, the team announced that single-game tickets for the upcoming season will be available beginning Thursday.
"Tropicana Field will also see various enhancements including an expanded main video board, new video displays behind home plate and along both foul poles, a new sound system, and refreshed suite interiors," according to a news release.
Tickets will go on sale to the general public at 2 p.m. Thursday in the MLB Ballpark app and at RaysBaseball.com/Tickets.
