Rays get permission to look for new stadium sites outside St. Pete

(AP) After years at odds, the Tampa Bay Rays and the St. Petersburg City Council found common ground Thursday, which appears to be a solid step in keeping the team in the Tampa area for the foreseeable future.

The Rays, eager to leave Tropicana Field, have pushed for years to wiggle out of their lease and explore other nearby stadium sites. If not, owner Stu Sternberg — who has watched the Rays finish last in average attendance the past four seasons while putting together a relatively successful on-the-field product — has said he may not have no choice but to sell the team or move it.

Both options seem less likely now. The St. Pete City Council on Thursday approved a deal struck by Mayor Rick Kriseman that will allow the Rays look for new stadium sites outside St. Pete, either across the bay in Hillsborough County or within Pinellas County, where they reside now.

Kriseman said he hopes the Rays ultimately decide to stay in St. Pete, perhaps even at a torn-down-and-redeveloped Tropicana Field site, but the decision essentially lets the Rays figure out what’s best for them, instead of being stuck under the city’s thumb. The incentive for the Rays to stay and rebuild at their current site, under the new agreement, is a revenue-sharing agreement that would give the team 50 percent of what’s considered a “lucrative redevelopment opportunity,” according to the Tampa Bay Times. At the moment, the Rays are under a lease with Tropicana Field until 2027.

The team and the city council have tried to come to agreement various times over the years, including at least three instances since December 2014. As recently as October, member of the St. Pete City Council were pushing a plan that would make the Rays pay $33 million to look elsewhere for stadium sites. The team balked at that idea.

From a baseball perspective, both the Rays and MLB are quite happy about Thursday’s developments. The league released this statement:

“Major League Baseball appreciates this step forward taken by the St. Petersburg City Council and remains fully supportive of Stu Sternberg’s vision to bring this stadium process to conclusion. Mr. Sternberg’s patience and persistence throughout the franchise’s long-standing efforts have illustrated his commitment to the fans of the region. We look forward to further progress in the weeks and months ahead as the Rays strive to ensure the future of the franchise with a first-class ballpark in the region.”

Sternberg meanwhile told Rays beat writer Marc Topkin:

#Rays Sternberg says they are pleased with vote, will do everything they can to ensure MLB stays in Tampa Bay area for long time.

— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) January 14, 2016

All indications are that Tampa and Hillsborough County are ready to woo the Rays across the bay, which seems like the most viable option, considering there’s a bigger population and possible sites already being talked about. If the Rays want a more urban stadium site, which is the trend nowadays, Tampa would also offer that. Many modern stadiums are built in downtowns and rely on development around the stadium and public transit options for fans.

The Times outlined some of the next steps in the process after Thursday’s vote and how Tampa is preparing:

First, according to the agreement approved Thursday, Rays have 60 days to outline, in writing, the process the team will use to evaluate sites. The team also has agreed to take at least six months to do the search so St. Petersburg has a fair chance to make its case.

Probably, [Tampa Mayor Bob] Buckhorn expects, it will take more like 12 to 18 months to identify a site and put together financing.

To be ready, Tampa and Hillsborough officials have set up a committee to help facilitate the discussion on their side of the bay. It includes Buckhorn, Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, Tampa Sports Authority president Eric Hart, Sykes Enterprises CEO Chuck Sykes and Fifth Third Bank Tampa Bay president Brian Lamb.

For everything history has shown us about building new stadiums and moving teams (even within a general area), this won’t be a quick-and-easy process. Just ask the Oakland Athletics. But Thursday’s vote, with its put-down-your-dukes nature, means that things are going in the best possible direction for those interested in keeping baseball in Tampa.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports: