Just days after two new St. Petersburg city council members took office, Mayor Rick Kriseman is proposing a new plan to let the Tampa Bay Rays move out of the city-owned Tropicana Field.
The Tampa Tribune reports that Kriseman and the Rays have discussed a deal that would:
- include a $24-million payment to cover the remaining lease on the baseball stadium if the team leaves;
- suggest financial incentives to keep the team in downtown St. Petersburg past 2027, such as a share of future development of the land where Tropicana Field now sits;
- give St. Petersburg six months to provide an argument for keeping the team at Tropicana Field.
The city council could consider the proposal as soon as next week, the Tribune reports.
