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Foes Of Rays' Stadium Plans Say Bidding Is Tainted

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By CARLOS MONCADA | The Tampa Tribune

Published: March 6, 2008

Updated: 03/06/2008 06:37 pm

ST. PETERSBURG Opponents of the Tampa Bay Rays' proposed downtown stadium claimed today that the process the city is using to obtain proposals to redevelop Tropicana Field has been tainted, and want the city to start over.

Members of the anti-stadium group Preserve Our Wallets and Waterfront, or POWW, told reporters that recent articles about the Rays' stadium proposal in construction and architectural-related magazines and Web sites have created a "chilling effect" on potential bidders.

Former St. Petersburg city council member Kathleen Ford, a lawyer, said the two articles suggest that the Rays and their development partner, Hines, have already been approved as the redevelopers of the 86-acre Tropicana site.

One article appeared in November on a New York-based Web site about green building projects. It states, in part, that the Tropicana site will be transformed into a green building-certified "mixed use residential and retail community that the Rays will develop in collaboration with Hines."

The other article is from last month's Building Design+Construction magazine. It states that Hines has "reached a deal to redevelop the site of the team's current stadium, Tropicana Field … " It also says that the $1 billion cost of redeveloping Tropicana Field and building a new stadium on the downtown waterfront "will be paid for by private investment from the team, Hines and local developers."

The city is still waiting for developers to respond to the request for proposals it issued in January to remake Tropicana Field. The proposals are due March 18.

"How could this be published when the bids aren't even in?" Ford asked. "Whatever is being put out by either the Rays or the Hines organization somehow it's being interpreted in a way that would make the public believe it's a done deal.''

Ford delivered a letter to city council members and City Attorney John Wolfe outlining the concerns and asking the city to reject any bids from Hines or the Rays, or to cancel the bid process and begin again.

Wolfe said he had not read Ford's letter and could not comment on it. Council chairman James Bennett rejected the notion of canceling the bid process. He said the city reserves the right to reject or refuse any or all proposals.

He suggested that Ford, who unsuccessfully ran for mayor in 2001 and may do so again next year, was seeking publicity for political reasons.

Ford also alleged that the Rays engaged in inappropriate lobbying of council members.

She said the T-shirts that Rays President Matt Silverman and Vice President Michael Kalt wore at a Feb. 21 public hearing on the Rays' stadium proposal constituted indirect lobbying of council members. The T-shirts referenced a Web site that promotes the Rays' stadium proposal.

"City council saw those T-shirts with that particular Web site reference," Ford said. "How could that not be considered indirect lobbying?"

Wolfe previously said he was not aware of any inappropriate lobbying of city officials.

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at cmoncada@tampatrib.com or (727) 451-2333.

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