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Pinellas County approved bonds for their part of a new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium. One commissioner changed his vote from a no to a yes – but there are still unknowns.
Commissioner Chris Latvala originally voted no on the deal in July, but changed his mind after getting a call from Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred.
“He said two things, or at least two things that I’ll share. Number one was his support, his emphatic support for major league baseball to stay in Tampa Bay, and was very emphatic about that. Number two was his support for the bonds,” Latvala told WMNF.
But after the vote, the Rays released a statement saying the costs have increased significantly and they can’t absorb the increase alone.
Commissioners say they will not approve any more public funding for the deal. Although he voted in favor of the deal, Latvala says he doesn’t trust Rays owner Stu Sternberg, and if the deal falls apart – it’s on him.
“It will be an embarrassment, I believe, to baseball if he’s not able to do that. And I think the end result is that he would have to sell the team” Latvala said, adding “he has no sense of community pride. I don’t think he cares about our community,”
The Rays did not comment on the deal to WMNF, but did comment on a statement from Latvala saying Sternberg “doesn’t care about the community.”
Tampa Bay Rays told WMNF that they have donated over a million in hurricane relief and participated in various charity events this holiday season.
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