ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Change could be on the horizon in St. Petersburg.

On Tuesday, the Hillsborough College District Board of Trustees will consider a non-binding agreement that could move negotiations forward for a Rays stadium at the school’s Dale Mabry campus.

In St. Pete, the idea of losing the team has long been a fear, but now, it’s starting to feel closer to reality to fans like Bob Simpson.

“As a purist, it breaks my heart,” said Simpson, who hopes the team will stay in St. Pete. “It’s hard to picture a life without it. I associate one with the other.”

However, beyond the emotional toll, there are growing economic concerns about what a potential move could mean for St. Pete’s downtown.

Those concerns intensified last season when the Rays temporarily played in Tampa after Tropicana Field was damaged, and some nearby businesses saw a drop in traffic.

In August, St. Pete city council member Corey Givens questioned what losing the team entirely might mean economically.

“I don’t want to see the Rays go,” he said. But, should the Rays decide to leave, if the Rays decide to leave, I don’t want to wait until the 11th hour of the game and here we are trying to come up with a plan.”

In the same meeting, Deborah Figgs-Sanders, another council member, assured Givens that the mayor’s office is working on a plan, and the Trop site will have new life if and when the Rays leave.

Pam Sainsbury hopes that will be the case.

“They do need to fill it,” she said. “It can’t just be a white elephant.”

For now, the potential agreement in Tampa doesn’t guarantee a move, but it does push the conversation forward, leaving major questions about the Rays’ and St. Pete’s futures still unanswered.

As for Tropicana Field, the roof repair was finished two months ago, and the team will play there for at least the next few seasons.

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