Kriseman to trim Trop redevelopment shortlist to two

Barring a curveball thrown by the Tampa Bay Rays and St. Petersburg City Council, Mayor Rick Kriseman is set to whittle down the field of Tropicana Field redevelopment proposals from four to two.

In a memo sent on Friday to Council Chairman Ed Montanari and members of City Council, Kriseman said he expects to make his decision known within seven days, meaning an announcement could come by Friday this week. He also pushed back at City Council’s desire to “hit the pause button” on redevelopment talks until the city and the Rays have reached an agreement that will clarify the team’s future — or lack thereof — in St. Pete. The Rays’ Tropicana Field lease agreement expires in 2027, and the team has expressed enthusiasm for a “Sister City” plan that would see the Rays split their season between the Tampa Bay region and Montreal.

However, citing the need to get a head start on funding and financing talks, Kriseman wrote, “delaying progress on selecting and negotiating with a master developer may hinder the progress of stadium discussions with the Rays.”

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