Grand prix official responds to Rays' design changes

Yesterday, we told you that the Rays' made some changes to their proposed $450-million waterfront stadium to accommodate the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

Today, Times racing reporter Brant James checked in with race officials. Here's his report:

Grand Prix of St. Petersburg general manager Tim Ramsberger, while "encouraged" that the Rays had made a first effort at co-existence despite no direct meeting, wondered if the new high-speed corner proposed to replace Turns 4, 5, and 6 through the Progress Energy Field parking lot would be a safety hazard. The Rays' plan did not cite the architect of the course alteration. Such a change, from a low-speed chicane to a high-speed S-turn, would likely require the course to be recertified by the FIA, the world motorsports governing body.

Comments

[make a deal]

I can't wait to see the stadium in the background during the Indy Grand Prix!!
St. Pete ROCKS!

[That idiot guy who posts]

First

[Rick K]

I think these three great improvements to downtown (the Trop field redevelopment, the re-configured Grand Prix, and the redeveloped Al Lang Baseball Stadium) all compliment each other quite nicely.

[Will Ferrell]

Maybe if they had a big cowbell at the track we wouldn't have a problem.

Vote Cowbell in 2008!!!

Will Ferrell, Out!

[Let us vote NO!!]

Yeah, let's now lose the Grand Prix, thanks to the Rays, who've already stolen spring training from St. Pete in the name of "expanding our fan base" when in reality it was "to free up Al Lang so we could have it for ourselves. Great idea.

Funny, the Rays didn't even bother to approach the race organizers with their sailboat idea until now....shows you what type of people we're dealing with.

[Paul]

It does seem kinda crappy that the Rays are affecting the Grand Prix race course. The race is set, any stadium ideas should have to conform to the existing race track and race setup. Hey, Grand Prix is here today... the Rays gave up on Al Lang with spring training. They don't even play at Al Lang anymore so they are out of luck.

Get rid of the Rays idea for Al Lang and keep the Grand Prix, if anything, lets rebuild on Al Lang with some thought on how to incorporate the race track even better to co-exist with the nice new park that will be going there. Now thats a winning plan.

[Steve Lange]

Everyone in St. Pete has to change their lives, their lifestyles and their monetary contributions to satisfy the Rays.

Now even the Grand Prix!

Way to go Matt and Stu.

[Old Northeast]

Steve,

You got kicked out of the Old NE Neighborhood Association. I mean, how does one get kicked out of a neighborhood association? Yes, you bring a lot of credibility to the table.

Keep talking.

[Steve Lange]

Yes I resigned being president of the N. A. having been president four times and chairman of more committees than you have hairs on your head for over twelve years.

I am still a member. Check it out.

And now, your name please if you expect to lend any credibility to your posts here.

Anonymous ad hominen personal attacks from the ranks of anonymity is pathetic.

What amazes me is that folks on these blogs will call others names, use foul language, etc. and do it without posting their names.

Not very adultlike.

[Steve Lange is r writing his history]

Steve now your just re-writing your own history. Your here for political gain only. Your article is below

North Shore chief ousted

The new president calls it a "sad day" after breaking a tie and voting to remove the association's chief in the midst of a development controversy.

By ANDREW MEACHAM

© St. Petersburg Times, published July 5, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- Acting on the request of its membership, board members of the North Shore Neighborhood Association voted Monday night to remove president Steve Lange after only a month in office.

Greg Burton, the association's vice president who led most of the meeting, broke a 5-5 tie on the motion to remove Lange. Burton will be North Shore's new president. Lange will continue as a board member.

The decision was not automatic.

Several board members in the 90-minute meeting argued for another general meeting so that more of the membership -- particularly Lange's supporters -- could weigh in, but that proposal failed. The motion to remove cited a Florida statute that allows boards of non-profit organizations to remove their leaders with or without cause.

"I'm disappointed," Lange said after the vote that ended the meeting. "I think it's an embarrassment for North Shore."

Lange, an architect, had served as president in 1991 and led numerous neighborhood projects since then, including landscaping along Fourth Street and founding North Shore's Historic District Committee in 1997. But within two weeks after assuming leadership because Joyce Frey resigned at the end of May, Lange was coming under fire from residents who accused the new president of having divided loyalties.

Lange supported the controversial development of a new CVS drugstore at 845 Fourth St. N, the current site of Watson's Foodtown. At an emotional membership meeting June 19, residents produced a postcard from Lange to City Council members, one of many such cards distributed throughout the neighborhood by CVS proponents. Lange had also spoken as a citizen on behalf of the development before the City Council, which voted 5-0 to approve rezoning the project needed. That meeting ended with a 31-9 vote to ask the board to seek Lange's resignation.

The board meeting focused more on Lange's personality and pugnacious leadership style. In a brief statement to open the meeting, Lange said he was being punished for backing CVS, a development North Shore residents had packed the City Council meeting to oppose.

But even he acknowledged some "loss of control" in the membership meeting he chaired, which he attributed to the antagonistic mood of the meeting.

Donna Fudge, Lange's attorney -- and wife of real estate broker Felix Fudge, who engineered the CVS sale -- told the board that ousting Lange would not end the controversy. More than 50 North Shore members, including six past presidents and several former board members, had signed a petition calling for another membership meeting in the event the board removed Lange, she said.

"What happened tonight is like firing your star quarterback after he's led you to the Super Bowl, just because he threw an interception in the third quarter," Fudge said.

In breaking the tie vote, Burton called the petition by Lange supporters a tactic to intimidate the board. Such a move, he said, was evidence that "we need someone else at the helm, and I wish it weren't me."

"It's an extremely sad day," he added.

[Truth Detector]

Resigned is a bit different than being ousted. Nice try

[Real TRUTH Detector]

That newspaper description of Steve touches on so many character traits we have seen on display in these threads. The opponents of the new ballpark are drunk in their self-reinforcing glory.