Groups gather to oppose Rays stadium deal ahead of key City Council vote

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) —St. St. Petersburg City Council members met Thursday to discuss setting a vote on the proposed stadium and development deal with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The deal would include the construction of a $1.3 billion stadium for the team and the sale of land outside the facility to be developed.

Outside City Hall before the meeting, several groups gathered to voice their opposition to the project.

“I think it’s an incredible opportunity for our city to achieve sustainable development, but frankly, we’re not there yet,” said Mick McGrath of the Sierra Club.

“When you look at the development agreements currently before the city council, there’s not really any strong language,” McGrath said. “This ensures that it will be something that is a green building, a sustainable building. It’s something that can help our community meet the challenges that we’re going to face related to climate change.

He said the Sierra Club is not opposed to the stadium, but would like to see it built to withstand a Category 5 hurricane.

“For the Sierra Club, we have three main priorities when it comes to the stadium deal and the historic gas plant redevelopment,” McGrath said. “It’s about making sure it’s a space powered by clean energy, making sure it meets the clean energy goal that the city has already established, ensuring that it’s a safe place for people to evacuate to, shelter in and have a microgrid within sight that can help during natural disasters and also ensure that we have green space and restoration. at Brooker Creek.

Dylan Dames of “Faith in Florida” is also opposed to the stadium deal.

“We are absolutely not against the Rays staying in St. Petersburg,” Dames said. “Something that has come up in our chapter and among the people that we organize a lot is that people really, really want community control and expanded affordable housing.”