Tampa Bay Rays study rejects $471 million remake of Tropicana Field as not ‘prudent’
June 16, 2009 at 6:29 am by Wayne GarciaThe Tampa Bay Rays continue their inevitable move OUT of St. Petersburg and to a mid-Pinellas location after being denied a waterfront ballpark and realizing, “Hey, we could be closer to tens of thousands of new fans if we weren’t stuck in The Burg’s downtown.”
The latest evidence? The Rays commissioned a study on rehabbing Tropicana Field. Even with improvements and a retractable roof, to the tune of $471 million, the Trop would only be a “B-, B+” kind of facility, the report concluded.
The Rays, however, want an A+ home. Rays stadium procurer Mike Kalt wrote to the A Baseball Community meeting, according to the Times, “We believe the study leaves little doubt that a renovation of Tropicana Field would not be a prudent course of action going forward.”
