News & Public Affairs
Pinellas bed tax revamp may fund new Dali building but not baseball stadium listen
11/16/10 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Pinellas County, Karen Seele, bed tax, tourism, beach renourishment, Salvador Dali Museum, stadium, Rays
Every hotel, resort, and R.V. park in Pinellas County charges guests a five percent sales tax for every night, as long as the duration is under six months. Today the Pinellas County Commission discussed changes to that tax that may mean more dollars will go to a key attraction. Assistant County Attorney Dennis Long says the tax is crucial.
"Each cent generated approximately $4.8 million or we will expect it to generate about that much in 2010."
The tourist development tax, often call...
Be the first to commentFoster: Rays must stay in St. Pete listen
06/24/10 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Tampa Bay Rays, Rays, Rays stadium, Bill Foster, Kevin Kennedy, John Wolfe, St. Petersburg City Council, Jim Kennedy
Officials met this morning to discuss how to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Pete. Mayor Bill Foster wants the Rays to acknowledge the risk the city’s taxpayers took in funding the stadium the ball club is now trying to leave.
St. Pete City Attorney John Wolfe stressed that this shouldn’t be something that pits the St. Pete against Tampa.
On Monday, Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg announced that the Rays wouldn’t be playing in Tropicana Field when their contract with the stadium ex...
Be the first to commentSt Pete Mayor reacts to Rays threat to leave downtown listen
06/22/10 Kate Bradshaw & Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Tuesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays stadium, Rays, St. Petersburg, Tropicana Field, Bill Foster
Yesterday, the owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, Stuart Sternberg, warned St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster that the team planned to break its lease of Tropicana Field.
The Rays are seeking permission from the city to alter the contract that currently forbids the team from talking with other municipalities about a new stadium.
Today, WMNF asked Foster about the Rays' future in St. Pete.
previous WMNF coverage of Rays' stadium
Be the first to commentRays owner threatens to move team if new stadium isn't built outside downtown St. Pete listen
06/21/10 Seán KinaneWMNF Drive-Time News Monday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, Rays stadium, Baseball, Tropicana Field, ABC Coalition, St. Petersburg, Rick Baker, Bill Foster
The Tampa Bay Rays are threatening to break their contract with the city of St. Petersburg and are looking to move out of Tropicana Field. Team owner Stuart Sternberg made that announcement this morning after he met with St. Pete Mayor Bill Foster.
The Rays signed a contract with the City of St. Petersburg that doesn’t expire until 2027. It says the Rays are not allowed to directly or indirectly negotiate for the use of any other facility besides the Trop. But Sternberg insists on moving i...
1 commentsIf they build it, will they stay? New stadium for the Rays? listen
04/08/10 Kate BradshawWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, Rays stadium, Tampa Bay Rays, ABC Coalition, Leslie Curran, Craig Sher
Faced with the possibility that the Tampa Bay Rays may leave town, many think building a new stadium is key to making them stay. Developer Craig Sher, who is with a group that for the past year has been studying the best way to do this, spoke in downtown St. Petersburg today. The audience included five St. Pete City Council members, and they were not pleased wi...
2 commentsSt. Pete moves forward on plan for the Trop listen
05/01/08 Mitch E. PerryWMNF Drive-Time News Thursday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, stadium, Tropicana Field
The St. Petersburg City Council voted today to authorize negotiations with two developers to re-develop Tropicana Field to pay for the proposed waterfront ballpark for the Tampa Bay Ray.
Councilman Herb Polson was the only board member to dissent.
As the council continues to gather information about putting up a possible ballot measure on the proposed park, opponents have questioned if contaminated soil below the site of Tropicana Field exists, and if that means the taxpayers could be f...
Be the first to commentAl Lang Stadium's bittersweet farewell
03/28/08 Arielle StevensonWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, stadium, Al Lang Field, Tropicana Field
Today thousands filled the seats at Al Lang Stadium one last time to watch the Tampa Bay Rays take on the Cincinnati Reds. With the Rays moving their training facility next year to Charlotte County and no new tenants for next spring, the legacy that began more than 80 years ago is drawing to a close.
City Councilman Jim Kennedy says he’s torn between the prospect of a new stadium on the site and the nostalgia of Al Lang.
Al Lang built the stadium in 1914 and was St. Petersburg’s mayor f...
Be the first to commentRays, City Council discuss stadium proposal listen
03/19/08 Jamie KidderWMNF Drive-Time News Wednesday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, Baseball, City Council, St. Petersburg, Tropicana Field, Stadium, Al Lang
The Greater Pinellas Point Civic Association held a meeting last night in St. Petersburg to discuss the Tampa Bay Rays stadium proposal. Citizens were invited to ask questions of a panel made up of people who are both supportive and opposed to the proposed stadium.
The panel consisted of Michael Kalt, senior vice president of Development and Business affairs for the Tampa Bay Rays; Jamie Bennett of the St. Petersburg City Council; Rick Musset of the City administration; Kenny Locke, who r...
Be the first to commentFolks sound off about new stadium proposal
02/22/08 Reif Russell AndersonWMNF Drive-Time News Friday Listen to this entire show:
Tags: Rays, stadium, Al Lang Field, Tropicana Field
The St. Petersburg City Council held a marathon listening session last night to hear public reaction to a proposed new waterfront stadium for the Rays baseball team.
It was the red shirts versus the white shirts at City Hall in St. Pete last evening. Hundreds of local citizens turned out to be seen and heard, with 109 of them speaking to the Council for three minutes apiece.
Wearing red were those against the proposal to tear down Tropicana Stadium and build a new home for the Rays alon...
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