Mayor recommends negotiating with two Trop developers; Williams Quarter may be out
Mayor Rick Baker is recommending the city negotiate possible deals with two of the three developers bidding to purchase Tropicana Field. In are Hines and Archstone-Madison; out is Williams Quarter.
On the surface, this moves seems to make sense. The city might be trying to leverage one bid against another to drive up the asking price. The City Council is scheduled to approve or reject the mayor's recommendation on Thursday.
Read the entire recommendation here.
Anyone surprised Williams Quarter, a developer with local ties that proposed 4,000 units of affordable, for-rent housing, is out?
The Tampa Bay Rays continue to pursue plans for a new baseball stadium. Host 
PLAY BALL!
Published Friday, February 24, 2012 11:55 AM
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ST.PETERSBURG - After many years of bitter legal wrangling with environmental agencies and grass root activist (aka
"corn dogs"), the new "do-RAYS-mi-fa-so-la Lang Stadium" is finally ready for its Season Opener against the NY
Yankees next month.
The tally for the cost of LaLang stadium is $680 million. So far it turns out to be $230 million more than what the
City Council and Mayor originally approved of back in 2009. The original cost was $450 million.
Rays VIP Mr. Calt said, "Don't blame me for the cost overruns, blame the unions and environmentalists. We were
forced into these stupid union contracts! Our original labor estimates were based on using 'foreign nationals.'"
He added, "Because we had to go further into the bay to accommodate the size and bulk of LaLang and Racetrack
Roadway, we had to go beyond that artesian well pipe where the sea cows live. Swiftmud wouldn't just cap the pipe
off as we asked. We had to build a special circular opening in the foundation above the pipe so the Manatees can
come up for air. Yeah! like they need to breathe .. that alone cost $10 million ... I say, 'Plug it and they will
go away!'"
Mr. Calt's final comments were "If you read the contract, these ARE NOT our overruns. These belong to the city and county."
By:Cub Reporter
[editor's note: "foreign nationals" = illegal alien work force : "Sea cows" and "Manatees" are the same critter and
they are not good eating. You are better off going to the Trop for a corn dog.]
Posted by: get-smart | April 29, 2008 at 04:24 PM
Dear Mr. Mayor,
It makes NO SENSE to negotiate re-devlopment of the Trop when a stadium plan has not yet been approved. Aren't you putting-the-cart-before-the-horse? Or, do you and your cronies know something the rest of us don't. . .hum. . .
Posted by: Diane Long | April 30, 2008 at 11:48 AM
Diane, Your point is reasonable, but in order to lock in what prospective property, and sales tax revenue projections(the source of neccessary bonding) are apt to be, it has to be done this way.
Posted by: Joe Friday | April 30, 2008 at 12:46 PM