CLEARWATER – A discussion by Pinellas County commissioners about a sports complex proposed for the Toytown landfill Tuesday shifted abruptly to the commission’s frustration with St. Petersburg’s inability to resolve its stadium issues with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The $662-million SportsPark LLC project, which includes a spring training home for the Atlanta Braves, could eat up as much as $10.5 million a year in county tourism tax money – the same source of money the city would want if the Rays decide to build a new stadium in Pinellas.
But first, the St. Petersburg City Council has to break its stalemate as to whether to allow the Rays to look for a home outside the city before their lease at Tropicana Field expires in 2027.