Stadium only in St. Petersburg, city says

The city of St. Petersburg has made its position on any potential stadium clear: It's only happening within the city limits. City attorney John Wolfe sent a letter to A Baseball Community attorney Charlie Harris Monday saying the city would only approve a stadium project within the city of St. Petersburg. (Wolfe also made clear the city has not taken a position whether or not to support a new stadium even within St. Petersburg).

Wolfe says the Rays are bound by an agreement to play Major League Baseball in the city until 2027.

"Needless to say, the city would not even consider an amendment to the agreement for a venue outside of the city," Wolfe wrote.

-- Aaron Sharockman, Times Staff Writer

Rick Baker and Jeff Lyash go way back

Even before Mayor Rick Baker named Progress Energy CEO Jeff Lyash chair of a new baseball coalition, the two men had a history together.

Baker named Lyash co-chair of an effort to find permanent shelter for the city's growing homeless population in January 2007.

In 2005, Lyash, then a Progress Energy vice president, contributed $350 to Baker's reelection campaign. Lyash was in good company. At least three other Progress Energy vice presidents contributed to the mayor's campaign that year.

And the Mahaffey Theater arts complex now bears the name of Progress Energy thanks to a deal brokered by Baker's staff.

You write the caption

(Times photo / Chris Zuppa)

Mayor Rick Rick Baker and Tampa Bay Rays president Matt Silverman speaking Tuesday before a news conference announcing the Rays plans to renovate the Azalea Little League complex in St. Petersburg.

St. Pete mayor stays neutral on Rays' plan

ST. PETERSBURG — As the City Council meets today for the first of three votes needed to schedule a November stadium referendum, Mayor Rick Baker will remain conspicuously undecided about the $1-billion-plus ballpark and redevelopment plan.

Yes, Baker will recommend that the council move the referendum question to a second vote.

But that's more about process than support, Baker says. And, if no deal is reached by Aug. 7, the last of the council votes, the mayor says he will be the first to say so.

This delicate positioning has inspired anger on both sides of the stadium debate, but it nonetheless typifies Baker's MO in seven years as mayor: His successes have relied largely on crafting deals favorable to the city.

The moment Baker takes a side, associates say, he loses the leverage that helped him swing deals favorable to the city.

Mayor to Council: Vote yes on June 5

The city just released a recommendation to council members ahead of next week's June 5 vote. Read it here.

If you don't feel like clicking, here's the main points:

* Initiate the referendum process on June 5;

* Select a Tropicana developer on June 19;

* Set a Aug. 1 deadline to reach a number of milestones, including agreements related to financing and a lease as well as questions related to the Tropicana Field redevelopment.

Mayor considers August, not June stadium vote critical

Spoke with Mayor Rick Baker, who's in Tallahassee on Friday working on state environmental policy, about the Rays' stadium proposal. Some of his comments are likely to appear in a story this weekend. But I wanted to share this quote now.

I asked  Baker how he viewed the upcoming June 5 vote. As you know, some people say it's critical, others say it's not (they point to the Aug. 7 vote, the third of three needed referendum votes, as being the real critical vote.)

Here's what Baker had to say:

"I'm considering the August date to be the drop dead date on this. There continues to be a lot of questions we have to work through that will not be resolved by next Thursday."

Baker wouldn't say what his recommendation to council will be next week, but said he would have one. By the sound of things, it will be to keep the discussions going.

Practically, his recommendation is just that. The council can do as it pleases. However, Baker's voice likely will offer political cover to any council member on the fence about keeping talks alive.

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?