CRA

The Bucs' plans include a shading structure to protect fans from the elements. Tampa City Council Chair Alan Clendenin says that's an example of a desire — not a lease obligation — as far as taxpayers are concerned.

The initiative is designed to support local businesses and entrepreneurs.

A letter from a local attorney calls for four members of the board to resign because of properties they own. Meantime, a key vote on the stadium plan was postponed at least two months by Tampa's CRA board.

Board members of the redevelopment agency told Ken Babby they don't want all the future money going to the team. He said the larger community would benefit from what is called the "halo effect."

A CRA board vote scheduled for Thursday could be pushed back to July 23. Meantime, the Rays will meet with Drew Park residents on Wednesday, who have complained about being left out of the discussions.

In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times, CEO Ken Babby says the economics behind the $2.3 project are settled after local approvals of a non-binding MOU, with the focus now on nailing down unresolved issues.

With a tense 4-3 vote, the city approved the non-binding agreement, allowing negotiations to continue on building the ballpark. But council members still have several concerns.

If commissioners approve the non-binding memorandum of understanding, the city council will vote on its part of the financing the following day.

Mayor Jane Castor says she expects the city council and county commission to pass the non-binding agreement, allowing negotiators to fill in the blanks on multiple documents in the complex deal.

During a nearly four-hour meeting, councilors heard their first presentation on the stadium from Rays CEO Ken Babby, learned more about what public funding would be required and listened to dozens of citizens.

Presentations from the team and city staff are slated on how Tampa can cover a proposed $251 million share of the project's financing through a CRA and the Community Investment Tax.

Despite a Rays warning that changing the timeline would jeopardize the project, the team says it's working "diligently" on a response to the county's list of 14 unresolved conditions.