The Tampa City Council, convened as the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency board, on Thursday “once again delayed its next scheduled vote” on the Rays’ proposed ballpark, according to Emma Behrmann of the TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL. The first delay in June pushed the discussion on $100M in stadium funding from the Drew Park Community Redevelopment Area to Aug. 20. Now, most recently, the board “voted to remove the discussion on the Rays’ non-binding deal framework from the August agenda.” The delay comes as the Rays are “weighing the extent of the city’s involvement in the deal.” City Council member Bill Carlson said that the Rays have “not sufficiently included the CRA board in their negotiations.” Fellow council member Lynn Hurtak, who has publicly opposed the deal and seconded Carlson’s motion, also “expressed concern over not being consulted.” Rays CEO Ken Babby on Thursday said that the team is “considering a route that doesn’t include the CRA.” Behrmann noted one possibility to circumvent the CRA is to “create a county-controlled Tax Increment Financing district” to cover the $100M contribution. Hurtak noted that the Rays “have mentioned” that idea. The Rays “maintain confidence” in their 2029 deadline and are “pushing for an August vote for construction to begin in September” (TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL, 7/23).
NO GOODWILL: In Tampa, John Romano wrote the plan “may not be foolproof, but it appears to be a subtle workaround to avoid skeptical council members.” And, judging from a pair of council votes on Thursday, that “might be the Rays’ wisest route.” Romano wrote there “doesn’t seem to be a lot of goodwill between the two sides at the moment” (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 7/23).