Good Thanksgiving Reads

To tide you over between the turkey and the yams, a sampling of what's going on in the world of stadia:

• AJC and Peach Pundit: Cobb commissioners give go-ahead for $300M Braves subsidies without knowing who will pay for all of amenities.
• Field of Schemes: Nationals asking for roof over 5yo stadium...STOP LAUGHING AT ME!
• BizBallMaury: The NHL gets a new TV deal – don’t expect that cable bubble to burst anytime soon.
• Field of Schemes: Cleveland to hand Browns “only” an extra $2 million a year because they weren’t held hostage like other NFL cities.
• Field of Schemes: Los Angeles not enough to blackmail NFL cities into stadium subsidies; league now looks to London.

Stadiums Are Expensive; They're Also Retail

An office watercooler conversation this week about the top news stories of 2013 led to this conversation:

Co-worker: "Obviously, the Rays stadium is one of them."

Me: "Really? There hasn't been any movement or news all year."

Co-worker: "Well, that's the story I guess."

Sadly, the Stadium Stalemate drags on, but that won't stop the newspapers (or TV) from trying to advance the story any way possible.

Case-in-point: the Times' Stephen Nohlgren writes this morning the Braves' pending stadium deal could impact the Rays' stadium chances, and we can learn valuable lessons from Atlanta:

 • Stadiums are expensive, even without retractable roofs. Counting land, infrastructure and stadium, the Cobb project comes in at $670 million and is due to open for the 2017 season.

• The public purse often seals the deal, even with a franchise as rich as the Braves. Cobb County's share is $300 million.

Total costs in Atlanta — including a real estate development on the site — could top $1 billion, a "staggering figure,'' said Hillsborough County Commission Ken Hagan.

"But each project is unique.'' he said. "I don't think that model is a reflection of what may potentially happen here,''

There are already many questions about the Braves' deal, such as whether the deal will actually go through and whether they can survive with the bare number of parking spots.  Nohlgren does a good job to point out Tampa's funding options (rental car taxes, TIF money) could quickly dry up and there just isn't anywhere close to $300 million available in Hillsborough Co. for a new stadium.

But a few addendums to Nohlgren's article:

• The $300 million Cobb Co. stadium subsidy will likely bypass a referendum.  It's probably a necessity in an age where taxpayers don't want to pay for stadiums, but how would that go over in Hillsborough?
• Cobb Co. is paying $300 million for a retail center.  The Rays have even said baseball is a retail business.  So when Commissioner Ken Hagan tells the Times he could support tax money for a deal that "furthers county goals," was he talking about the high-wage technology investments that commission frequently mentions?  Or was he talking about low-paying retail jobs the Times editorial board frequently pans?
• Many of Hillsborough County's commissioners have pledged no tax dollars for a stadium.  Ken Hagan has already broken from his original stance, but it could be very difficult for others to do so.

This blog's critics will quickly point to instances where retail subsidies have turned out well for a region.  But those usually occur in depressed areas, not thriving/up-and-coming areas.  And they usually come in the form of tax breaks for developers, not up-front cash to build out a complex.

Economists hate retails subsidies, and many elected leaders do too.  However, they sometimes forget that when a stadium is attached to them.

St. Pete Approves Trop Renovations

Not that there was any question about it, but St. Pete's council approved $1.3 million from the city's Tropicana Field capital fund going to stadium renovations.  The Tampa Tribune reports:

Chief among the improvements is $250,000 to create a 360-degree walkway that would allow fans to get from left field to right field without having to duck out into the stadium concourse.

The plan is to remove a few rows of seating to make a path that connects to existing walkways close to the right-field scoreboard. The new walkway would also link former Batter’s Eye Restaurant to the Captain Morgan party area.
...
Mayor Bill Foster recently repeated his warning that Major League Baseball does not see the Tampa Bay area as a viable baseball market. He said the city must honor its contract with the Rays and make the upgrades just as it expects the team to honor its agreement to play at the Trop.

“We are contractually obligated to do this as the Rays are contractually obliged to play 81 baseball games a year for the next 14 years,” he said.

The Rays said they'd withhold comment until a Dec. 3 press conference, but the capital fund renovations are also expected to include handrail, restroom, and parking lot lighting upgrades.

Weekend Reading List: Two Ends of Stadium Spectrum

Some easy reads to get you through the weekend:

1. Tampa Bay Times - Kriseman committed to openness, progress on Rays
2. Field of Schemes - Braves leaving parking troubles at The Ted behind for new stadium with less parking...which implies:
3. Field of Schemes - the Braves may just think their fans are afraid of black people.
4. The Sports Economist - NFL wants tight control of LA market, in-part to preserve relocation threats.
5. Senate Press Release - U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal and John McCain propose legislation to ban sports blackouts.

Foster Says MLB Wants Out of Tampa Bay (Again)

The Tampa Bay Times reports this morning:

As his last days in office tick away, Mayor Bill Foster on Thursday issued his most pessimistic declaration yet on the future of the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg and the Pinellas peninsula.

"I don't think there's anything in the equation that causes Major League Baseball to want to stay in Pinellas County," Foster said.

Not sure that comment is any more pessimistic than the one he made in September:

"It has become apparent to me that Major League Baseball has no intention of assisting the city and Rays in reaching a mutually beneficial solution," Foster wrote in a memo to the council. "Nor does Major League Baseball seem interested in a cooperative effort to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay Region for the long term." 

Foster was villinized during his unsuccessful re-election campaign for not being able to strike a deal with the Rays, but it's clear he's still trying to explain the stalemate: the team and league want to be let out of their contract, but may not be willing to compensate the city for it.  That's why incoming mayor Rick Kriseman is about to enter some very difficult negotiations.

Foster May Have Won if He Talked More Rowdies

One of the biggest successes of Rick Kriseman's mayoral campaign was using the word "Rays" at least 100 times for every utterance of the word "Rowdies."  The challenger was able to turn one of Mayor Bill Foster's strengths in St. Pete - sporting events - into a weakness (Karl Rove would be proud).

Similarly, Foster should have played better to his strengths.  Under his watch: the Rays kept playing in St. Pete, the Honda Grand Prix enjoyed four great years, international baseball teams started playing games at Al Lang Field, and St. Pete lured the Rowdies over from Tampa.

The soccer club drew a modest 4,051 fans per game to Downtown St. Pete, and now, the city is considering a $1 million upgrade to make the stadium more soccer-friendly (reportedly, paid for by the team).

But the Trib's Christopher O'Donnell also reports that "a panel of experts from the Urban Land Institute recently recommended that the waterfront sports facility could be razed to make way for a multipurpose stadium" to open up the city's waterfront.

Could St. Pete be looking at a new Stadium Saga?

St. Pete Grand Prix Lands New Title Sponsor

Great news to read this morning:

BREAKING: Firestone new #StPete Grand Prix sponsor in multi-year deal. Secures financial stability of event for years. #IndyCar @gpstpete
— Grayson Kamm (@graysonkamm) November 20, 2013

According to a press release, the IndyCar season opener will now be known as "Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg."

Look for it from March 28-30, 2014.  Tickets go on-sale Dec. 1.

Rick Kriseman Assembling Staff, Talking Points

As St. Pete Mayor-Elect Rick Kriseman assembles his 40-man roster transition team, he is also starting to hone his talking points on hot-button issues such as the Stadium Saga.

Among those assisting Kriseman in his transition will be St. Pete's Senior Administrator Rick Musset, who has been instrumental in Rays negotiations over the years.  Also, former ABC Coalition spokesman Craig Sher, who has emerged as one of the region's most knowledgable and realistic stadium experts.

Meanwhile, Kriseman has been addressing reporters' questions on early conversations with the Rays, and spent about 15 minutes on 98.7 The Fan Tuesday night talking baseball:

Mayor-elect @Kriseman tells @987TheFan top priority for #Rays is to full stands. Second priority is keep in Tampa Bay.
— Shadow of Stadium (@StadiumShadow) November 20, 2013

Mayor-elect @Kriseman tells @987TheFan Howard Frankland needs to be "a 2-way bridge," meaning Tampanians need to cross the bay.
— Shadow of Stadium (@StadiumShadow) November 20, 2013

Mayor-elect @Kriseman tells @987TheFan the city's contract through 2027 may not mean much w/o addressing issues now.
— Shadow of Stadium (@StadiumShadow) November 20, 2013

Many fans may still be hoping the Stadium Saga resolves itself in a matter of months, but don't count on it.

Letter: No Taxes for Rays Stadium

A "Letter of the Day" in the pages of the Tampa Tribune implores citizens to stand up against any possible vote for public stadium subsidies:

Name an industry other than professional sports in which the eventual customer is called upon to fund the purchase of a venue at which this same customer will eventually purchase the product.
You probably cannot. However, this is exactly what Major League Baseball does when it threatens to move a team unless the local residents finance a new stadium. Were municipal bonds floated or was there a half-cent sales tax increase to pay for the International Plaza?
Of course not. The land was purchased, it was built and you either go there or you don’t. I like the Rays. I go to some games. However, this citizen will never vote to approve public dollars to finance a stadium.
I find it interesting that “super agent” Scott Boras thinks the Rays should move because not enough fans fill the seats such that the exorbitant players’ salaries can be paid. This is quite self-serving on his part as agents are usually paid based upon the size of the contract they negotiate.
Dave Mullan
Tampa

Of course, much of Hillsborough County is conservative, so getting a vote approved to fund a stadium would be hard anyway.  Most politicians know any new stadium effort in Tampa would likely have to be done without a vote.

Home of the Braves, Land of the Free (Lunch)

The developments coming out of Metro Atlanta (where, I'm still not convinced the Braves have a signed-and-sealed stadium deal) are fast and furious, and thanks to Neil deMause, we have Cliffs Notes:

• The Braves are moving out of Turner Field because of "inadequate number of parking spaces,” but the proposed suburban Cobb Co. complex would have even fewer. They'd solve the problem with park-and-ride "golf-like trams."  So much for the "new MLB model" of urban, walkable stadiums.
• Libertarians and Liberals are also teaming up to protest the "behind closed doors" deal.
• Cobb Co. businesses will be asked told to help pay for the stadium with increased business taxes - on top of the extension of a local property tax hike.  Even though the Braves want to run "golf-like trams" to reduce foot traffic.
• Meanwhile, deMause speculates there's lots of exposure for Cobb Co. taxpayers.  They could foot the bill if infrastructure costs increase or if sales/property taxes don't grow as projected.

It certainly doesn't appear this deal will go down in history as one of the better deals for taxpayers - especially since they won't get to vote on it.

Report: Sternberg, Kriseman Meet For an Hour, Avoid Stadium Talk

Tucked away inside this morning's Metro section of the Tampa Bay Times was a short Marc Topkin piece about Rays owner Stuart Sternberg meeting with St. Pete Mayor-Elect Rick Kriseman:

Kriseman, Sternberg praise each other after introductory meeting http://t.co/Mt8Zj5H2ea
— Tampa Bay Times (@TB_Times) November 17, 2013

Topkin was gracious enough to pass along a corrected link as well {link to Times' site}.

The two leaders met for an "hour-plus" on Friday, but "agreed not to talk about the ongoing stadium stalemate."  However, Topkin indicated the two discussed a "regional business approach," which also included transportation and lifestyle issues.  Ultimately, an approach that can only benefit the future of baseball in Tampa Bay.

Vinik Group Adds More Downtown Land

Michael Sasso from the Tampa Tribune reports a group with ties to Lightning owner Jeffrey Vinik has added three more acres to its 14-acre holdings near the Tampa Bay Times Forum:

Vinik has said he wants to build a large entertainment-oriented development in the Channelside Drive area, and some local officials also hope Vinik and the Bakers will consider building a stadium there for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Neither Vinik nor the Bakers have indicated publicly they would do so, though.

17 acres doesn't go very far in baseball terms, but if Vinik really wanted to make a MLB stadium happen, there's enough land Downtown to get it done.

The only question is...does he really want to get it done?

New Details on Tropicana Field Renovations

Wavenly Ann Moore reports this morning {link to Times' site} that city records indicate the renovations to the Trop - including a facelift to a full 360-degree walkable concourse and facelift of the Batter's Eye restaurant - will cost $1.3 million...and the majority is coming from a public fund.

The money is to come from the city's "special stadium capital projects escrow," which has funded previous maintenance work such as roof, parking lot, and A/C repairs:

The account, which currently has a balance of $2.1 million, is funded with naming rights revenues and ticket fees as part of the city's contract with the Rays. The team can't spend money from the account without city approval.
...
The renovation also will include restroom upgrades, pipe replacement and ceiling restoration in the home clubhouse, improved exterior lighting in employee parking areas, refurbishment of exterior awnings and various ADA projects. All of the work is expected to be complete before the start of the 2014 baseball season.

I'm sure the Rays would prefer that some of their naming rights and ticket revenue would not go toward this escrow fund, but it's a good thing to preserve both taxpayers' interests and the stadium's appearance.

Olbermann Says Forget Jersey, Look to Montreal

Keith Olbermann ripped Scott Boras' idea of baseball in New Jersey Thursday night, while simultaneously ripping the "oversized Gulag punishment cell that is Tropicana Field."  The ESPN host added Montreal may be the best fit for the Rays if Tampa Bay is not:


Olbermann, who disclosed that he was a close personal friend of Stu Sternberg, said he believed the Rays' owner was sincere about wanted to keep the team in Tampa Bay.

Then he dropped the most interesting piece of knowledge about the recent developments: Scott Boras spent 3.5 years playing minor-league ball for the St. Petersburg Cardinals.

Reader Rebukes Stadium-less Tampa Idea

Interesting rebuttal in today's Trib Letters to the Editor to last week's idea that the City of Tampa forget about a stadium and focus on other unique features, like sculptures:

The “city of sculptures”? And forget about baseball? Outdated thinking for downtown development? Really?

I’m having a hard time imagining Tampa’s civic pride swelling significantly over some newly acquired sculptures - as we wave goodbye to the Rays leaving for another city! If we want to be a “major league city” and be perceived as elite, does anyone really believe that the branding platform to get us there should be focused on sculptures?

Perhaps Hall should more closely study the experiences of Denver, St. Louis, Cleveland and some other major league cities. I simply can’t think of a reason why a new stadium wouldn’t serve to continue the revitalization of what has been a long-time sleepy downtown. And a new downtown stadium would tie in nicely to promotion of the Riverwalk.

Let’s leave the sculptures in the capable hands of museum curators — and we do have great museums to visit in the area. I, for one, would prefer to live and work in a major league city. I wonder how many would ride Hall’s envisioned monorail to a minor league game?