The Tampa Bay Rays threw the city of St. Petersburg, Florida, a curveball by withdrawing plans to build a new $1.3 billion stadium that had already received city council approval.
What's happening?
In an official statement posted Thursday on X, formerly known as Twitter, Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg announced that this "difficult decision" was prompted by "a series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated."
"After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment," he said, alluding to a delayed timeline, a ballooning budget, and the devastation following Hurricane Milton.
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Definitely 🙁 The blueprint for the 30,000-seat ballpark in downtown St. Petersburg began gaining traction last May, just five months before the tropical cyclone made landfall in the state and caused $34.3 billion in damages throughout the region.
Hurricane Milton tore through the fabric roof of Tropicana Field, the organization's existing home stadium, rendering it unplayable for the upcoming season. While the Rays will play their home games this year at nearby Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees' spring training home, they hope to fix the current dome in time for the 2026 season.
Why is the withdrawal important?
While Florida is no stranger to hurricanes and other extreme weather events, they played a crucial role in the club's decision. Assessments of Tropicana Field found that it would cost nearly $56 million to repair, and it would have been demolished once the new stadium was constructed.
The situation also underscores another example of communities of color disproportionately shouldering the burden of environmental catastrophes and their fallouts.
The new ballpark, which was expected to open in 2028, was the highlight of the city's $6.5 billion, 20-year plan to revitalize the Historic Gas Plant District, a predominantly Black neighborhood. Additional features include a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment venues, and equitable business opportunities to help boost the local economy.
Now, the future of the team and the redevelopment project is uncertain after the front office scrapped the proposed stadium.
All this points back to the increasing severity of extreme weather events caused by rising global temperatures. Though natural catastrophes will continue to wreak havoc, they've only grown more disruptive as we pollute our atmosphere with planet-warming gases.
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What's being done about Earth's overheating?
Some professional sports teams have taken action to help reduce their reliance on dirty energy sources. Franchises like the NFL's Atlanta Falcons and Arsenal of the Premier League have adopted sustainable practices and environmentally conscious policies.
Meanwhile, you at home can step up to the plate by learning more about critical climate issues, ditching single-use products, and taking eco-friendly modes of transportation.
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