‘Too big to fail:’ Rays negotiators weigh alternatives if Tampa Council votes fall short

Negotiators working on a proposed Tampa Bay Rays stadium and surrounding redevelopment in Tampa are nearing completion of the project’s final agreements, according to Tampa City Council Chair Alan Clendenin.

Clendenin said discussions have included potential ways to move the project forward if supporters cannot secure the four Tampa City Council votes needed for approval.

Staff members representing the Rays, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County have been negotiating the definitive documents after the City Council and County Commission previously approved a memorandum of understanding (MOU) outlining the proposed deal.

The MOU established a framework but did not contain the final terms elected officials would ultimately be asked to approve.

Clendenin told Florida Politics Tuesday he expects additional information on the negotiations soon and believes the documents are close to completion.

“The politicians are not part of the day-to-day grinding of the negotiations,” Clendenin said. “We make the decisions after those negotiations have been concluded by staff.”

Once completed, the agreements would be presented to elected officials for up-or-down votes. Both the Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commission are expected to have roles in approving the deal. The Tampa Sports Authority would also later consider portions related to its management responsibilities.

Clendenin said the documents may come before the city first, calling the City Council the project’s “weakest link” because of uncertainty over whether the proposal can attract a fourth vote.

That uncertainty comes after the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), whose board is made up of the same seven Council members, delayed consideration of the CRA’s proposed $100 million contribution until Aug. 20 despite earlier approval as the City Council for the city’s $80 million contribution.

Clendenin said negotiators have considered other options in case that support does not materialize, adding that part of the discussion has involved how the deal could be structured without relying on City Council approval.

“They’re looking at, if for some reason they can’t get that fourth vote on Council, how can we continue to move this project forward?” Clendenin said.

Clendenin said the definitive agreements could still follow the structure established in the MOU. But he suggested negotiators could also present a revised or more creative arrangement depending on the political support available when the documents are finished.

His comments come ahead of a Thursday City Council meeting that includes a land-use item connected to the proposed stadium district at the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus. Clendenin stressed that the vote is procedural and does not represent approval or rejection of the stadium proposal. The land-use change was requested by the college.

Hillsborough College is seeking a future land-use change for more than 100 acres currently designated for public purposes. The change would allow the property to be considered for the stadium, commercial development, housing and other uses envisioned for the larger district.

Thursday’s vote would authorize the city to transmit the proposed amendment to state officials in Tallahassee for review and comment.

“It’s not a yes or no. It’s not a, ‘it’s a good idea, bad idea.’ It is all the information we have at this moment, and we’re going to send it to decision makers in Tallahassee for their comments,” Clendenin said. “This is just administrative.”

After state officials return their comments, the city would schedule public hearings before deciding whether to approve the land-use change.

Clendenin is a supporter of the Rays proposal. He argues that the city’s proposed contribution is modest compared with the scale of the development and the economic activity supporters say it would generate.

Under the current MOU, the city would contribute $80 million in sales-tax revenue. Clendenin said the site is projected to generate between $50 billion and $80 billion in economic activity, along with as many as 15,000 permanent jobs after the district is completed.

Clendenin also said the stadium and mixed-use development could transform an area surrounding Raymond James Stadium that predominantly activates during football games, concerts and other major events.

The proposal calls for hotels, restaurants, housing and a redesigned Hillsborough College campus. Clendenin said the added year-round activity could also help support future transit connections between the district, Tampa International Airport and downtown Tampa.

“This project is too big to fail,” Clendenin said. “The county is smart enough to understand that it’s too big to fail. So, if you can’t get it through the city, you’ve got to go around it.”