The New Year is expected to usher in a new phase of one of the region’s most divisive questions: Should the Tampa Bay Rays get a new stadium?
After six years of stalemates and fraught negotiations, the St. Petersburg City Council that will be seated in January is expected finally to grant the Rays and team President Brian Auld permission to explore potential new ballpark sites across Tampa Bay.
That likely will kick-start a flurry of activity, with political leaders in Pinellas County eager to keep the team while their counterparts across the bay look to add Major League Baseball to Hillsborough County’s roster of pro sports attractions.