Will the St. Petersburg authorities approve funding for the Rays stadium?

St. Petersburg City Council members can expect a heated debate Thursday afternoon as what was once considered a routine vote on funding the city’s portion of the new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and the surrounding redevelopment known as the Gas Works Historic District will now become more complicated.

On Tuesday, Pinellas County commissioners decided for a second time to delay a vote on funding their contribution to the $1.3 billion stadium project until Dec. 17. The election of two new commissioners, both critical of the stadium, means the county likely lacks the votes for approval. bonds and would leave a $312.5 million hole in the stadium plan.

Meanwhile, the Rays publicly accused the county of derailing the plan because of the delays, and on Tuesday, team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman wrote to Rays commissioners saying they had stopped work on the entire stadium and renovation project and could not move forward. with the deal the city and county approved in July.

During a City Council committee meeting Thursday morning, Mayor Ken Welch told members that if all parties — the County Commission, City Council, Rays and development partner Hines — follow through on their commitments, “then this impressive 30-year plan can move forward.

“If any of these partners don’t do this, then the plan will not be implemented,” Welch said, adding that no additional funds are required.

Uncertainty remains about what will happen to the 65 acres of land around the stadium that are slated to be sold at a steep discount to Rays and Hines for redevelopment into the Gas Works Historic District if the stadium deal falls apart.

Read the news ahead of and during Thursday’s City Council meeting at 1:30 p.m.:

Noon: Group Opposing Stadium Plan Calls for Bond Vote to Be Delayed

About 10 members of No Home Run, an organized group fighting for a better deal for the Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium, held a news conference on the steps of St. Petersburg City Hall. Referring to a letter from Rays presidents saying they cannot cover the cost of opening the stadium a year later in 2029, they called on the City Council to vote Thursday to delay the issuance of bonds that would help pay for the $1.3 billion stadium and also roads and sewerage for planned projects. Gasworks Historic District.

“If it’s true that the Rays won’t pay the cost overruns, how can the City Council today go out and borrow money for a contract if we don’t have a deal?” asked Ron Diner, the former Raymond James executive who heads No Home Run.

“This is no one’s fault. We’ve had two hurricanes that have caused delays that will drive up costs,” he said. “We need to stop, take a step back and start over. And when that happens, we’ll need a fair deal.”

— Colleen Wright

9:30 City Council members have questions about voting at Rays Stadium.

ST. PETERSBURG — A Thursday morning discussion over pending city bonds to finance the Tampa Bay Rays’ new stadium and infrastructure around a historic gas plant set the stage for what’s likely to be a heated debate when the full City Council votes on the issue later in the afternoon.

Councilwoman Lissette Hanewicz, who opposes the deal, has returned to her role as a former federal prosecutor. She confirmed to City Attorney Jackie Kovilaritch that the city is not legally obligated to approve any bonds because they were not a condition of the agreements approved in July, and there is no deadline for either the city or county to approve the bonds by a specific date.

Hanewicz asked if the Rays wanted to include a penalty clause in the contract and what that would look like. Kovilarych said there was some discussion that the team could seek monetary compensation if the City Council didn’t approve the bonds, but that never made it into the contract.

“So I just want to make sure that whatever they say in their letter regarding the bonds and all that, we don’t actually have to approve the bonds,” Hanewicz said.

Council members also had questions about what would happen if they voted against the funding plan Thursday. Read more here.

— Colleen Wright