Tampa Bay Rowdies stadium in St. Pete could be demolished
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Mayor Ken Welch on Thursday unveiled a two-phase master plan for the downtown waterfront that would cost over $289 million.
Mayor Ken Welch sees an opportunity to showcase St. Petersburg's arts scene on the downtown waterfront by demolishing Al Lang Stadium.
On Thursday, Welch presented a conceptual master plan for the Center of the Arts to a St. Pete City Council subcommittee. In Welch's master plan, the stadium, which is home to the Tampa Bay Rowdies, would be demolished to make way for the new arts center. The stadium property, according to Welch's presentation, is "underused" and "could play a significant role in shaping" the city's public waterfront.
Phase one would include a new, 1,100-car garage with 20,000 square feet of ground-level retail, demolition of an existing garage, a new plaza, a new 60,000-square-foot conference center, a 50,000-square-foot expansion of the Dali Museum and improvements to the Mahaffey Theater.
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The second phase, slated for completion between 2028 and 2038, would demolish Al Lang Stadium, replacing it with an outdoor amphitheater. This phase would also include a 400-car garage with 15,000 square feet of ground-level retail, a new 30,000-square-foot Florida Orchestra facility along with the 3,000-to-4,000-seat amphitheater, designed by ASD | Sky.
The estimated costs of this two-phase master plan total $289.2 million, according to the presentation.
It's unknown what Welch's plan would mean for the Rowdies, which Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg owns. A representative from the Rowdies was not immediately available for comment.
Welch has previously said he would only pursue a new stadium deal with the Rays if Sternberg, who walked away from a previous deal with St. Pete and Pinellas County in March, sold the team.
The economic report predicts construction activity over the next decade could generate more than $444.9 million in total economic output — $34 million annually during the time of construction.
The Firestone Grand Prix of St. Pete racetrack route is to remain as is while the Mahaffey Theater and Dali Museum work toward expansion.
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USA Today
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Coach unconcerned with Sean O'Malley's skid negatively impacting UFC star power
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