Tampa Bay Rays withdraw from planned $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg, citing storms, delays

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Tampa Bay Rays withdraw from planned $1.3 billion ballpark in St. Petersburg, citing storms, delays

2025-03-14 02:12 Last Updated At：02:20

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays withdrew Thursday from a $1.3 billion project to construct a new ballpark adjacent to Tropicana Field, citing a hurricane and delays that likely drove up the proposal's cost.

The team issued a statement by principal owner Stuart Sternberg saying “a series of events” in October, which included severe damage to the the Trop and financing delays, led to what he called “this difficult decision.”

“After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment,” Sternberg said.

Displaced from the Trop in St. Petersburg, the Rays are set to play their home games this season across Tampa Bay at the New York Yankees' spring training home, 11,000-seat Steinbrenner Field. Meanwhile, repairs are envisioned to the Trop, including replacing its roof shredded by Hurricane Milton, that would have it ready for the 2026 season.

“Major League Baseball remains committed to finding a permanent home for the club in the Tampa Bay region for their fans and the local community," MLB said in a statement. "Commissioner (Rob) Manfred understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from today’s announcement, but he will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders, and Rays officials to secure the club’s future in the Tampa Bay region.”

The Trop opened in 1990 and has been the Rays’ home since they took the field in 1998. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, a driving force behind what was dubbed the “Here To Stay” initiative aimed at keeping the Rays in the city for another 30 years, said the decision was disappointing but “it is not unexpected.” It is also possible the Rays could be sold, he noted.

“If in the coming months a new owner, who demonstrates a commitment to honoring their agreements and our community priorities emerges, we will consider a partnership to keep baseball in St. Pete. But we will not put our city’s progress on hold as we await a collaborative and community-focused baseball partner,” Welch said.

Under their current contract with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays would play three more seasons at their existing ballpark after it is repaired. Beyond that, the team’s future in the Tampa Bay area is uncertain. MLB and the Rays could evaluate attendance and fan interest during the team's season at Steinbrenner Field as they consider alternate sites.

“The opportunity to play on the Tampa side could give insights into the Tampa Bay market as a whole that could be useful for the club moving forward,” Manfred said during a Wednesday interview with The Associated Press.

For now, the Rays are set to return to the Trop after a year across the bay.

“The City of St. Petersburg is currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season,” Sternberg said. “We are thankful for their efforts and are excited to return to our home field next spring.”

The proposed 30,000-seat stadium is a signature piece of a broader $6.5 billion revitalization project known as the Historic Gas Plant District, which refers to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was forced out by construction of the Trop and an interstate highway spur.

Supporters say the development would transform an 86-acre (34-hectare) tract in the city’s downtown, with plans for a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment venues, plus office and retail space — and the promise of thousands of jobs.

That broader project, counting on the Rays ballpark to be an anchor, is also in limbo with this decision.

The Rays had faced a March 31 deadline to decide whether to continue with the new ballpark project. Under the agreement previously approved by the city and Pinellas County, the governments would cover about half the cost of the $1.3 billion stadium, with the Rays and their development partner Hines covering the rest, including any cost overruns.

The Rays previously said a delayed vote in October on the final financing plan by the Pinellas County Commission was a factor increasing projected costs beyond the team’s funding ability. The city already has approved its financing.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB

Lewis Hamilton ready to race for Ferrari for the first time in F1's season-opening Australian GP

2025-03-14 14:45 Last Updated At：14:51

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton racing a Ferrari for the first time. Reigning world champion Max Verstappen arriving without a lot of mileage in his Red Bull. Lando Norris helping McLaren set a benchmark with his pace in testing.

Formula 1 is expecting a hyper-competitive milestone 75th anniversary season in 2025, and it starts this weekend with the Australian Grand Prix. There’s no shortage of unknowns in terms of the pecking order, and the weather.

Most of the headlines ahead of Sunday’s Australian GP have revolved around Hamilton’s move to Ferrari from Mercedes.

The normally relaxed pre-event news conference at Albert Park was overflowing with journalists and photographers on Thursday to hear from a rejuvenated Hamilton about how much he’s enjoying the prancing horse-ride.

The 40-year-old British driver is going into his 19th season in F1 but has had a different outlook since his first day in January at the Scuderia’s Maranello HQ, where he's teammates with Charles Leclerc.

“I don’t really approach this role with pressure,” Hamilton said. “I think over the years, the pressure I put on myself has always been 10 times higher than any other pressure that could be put upon me. I haven’t joined this team and been made to feel any pressure.

“I have an expectation for myself — I know what I can bring. I know what I can deliver. And I know what it’s going to take.”

Norris has been trying to downplay his long-run pace that impressed the paddock during pre-season testing in Bahrain last month and made McLaren an early-season favorite.

“I know there’s a lot of expectation,” Norris said. “It was just my one race run I did that kind of just made everyone believe this quite heavily. It was a good race run, but it was also in the most perfect conditions."

He tried to temper expectations by saying McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri 's run the following day “was a lot slower.” “Not because he drove worse," Norris explained, “but simply because the conditions on the final day were considerably slower.”

There’s no denying, though, that McLaren is confident going into the opening race of the season, even if they’re not quite sure of their ultimate pace.

“No one really knows what to expect,” said Piastri, who is aiming to become the first Aussie to win the Australian F1 Grand Prix.

“Testing went pretty well, but you don’t know where everybody stands. I think we’re pretty happy with how our test went, but Melbourne is a completely different track to Bahrain. Weather is going to be different to Bahrain and different every hour, by the look of it.”

Ferrari took the contest to long-time rival McLaren in the second practice as Leclerc closed out the session on top, just over one-tenth of a second ahead of Piastri and Norris

Leclerc and Norris traded fastest times throughout the late afternoon run, with their pace witnessed by 125,548 people at the leafy inner-city Albert Park circuit, a record Friday crowd for the Australian Grand Prix.

Hamilton had a much stronger second session for Ferrari, with the seven-time world champion finishing fifth, just over fourth-tenths behind teammate Leclerc.

Red Bull’s second team, Racing Bulls, shaded the main squad, with Yuki Tsunoda and Isack Hadjar showing surprising speed to end the session in fourth and sixth.

World champion Max Verstappen could do no better than seventh, almost a half-second behind in the second session. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman didn't enter the second practice after his crash in the morning session.

The final practice will precede Saturday qualifying, which starts at 4 p.m. local time (0500 GMT).

Piastri, born and bred in Melbourne, is correct. The southern Australian city is set to deliver this weekend on the famous “four seasons in one day” expression that often describes Melbourne's ever-changeable weather.

The Albert Park circuit should be comfortable for F1’s opening practice sessions on Friday, with a partly cloudy day expected and a top of 27 degrees Celsius (80 Fahrenheit). Temperatures are expected to rise to 37C (98F) on Saturday for qualifying and then drop again again for the race on Sunday, when there's also rain on the forecast.

A wet race would certainly mix things up, with teams needing to guess on setup following two days of dry running.

Verstappen, though, whose Red Bull team did the least mileage in pre-season testing, says he’s prepared for any conditions.

“I would like it to be dry because it’s just nicer, (and) also for the fans,” Verstappen said. “But if it’s wet, it’s wet. It’s fine as well."

Piastri won’t be the only Aussie on the Melbourne grid. Jack Doohan, the son of five-time motorcycle world champion Mick Doohan, is starting his first full season with Alpine – which appears to have taken a significant step forward over its 2024 pace.

Although speculation through pre-season has been whether Doohan will keep that seat, with his French team bringing in former Williams driver Franco Colapinto as a reserve.

“I have a contract for at least this year, if not more,” said Doohan, who is one of six rookies this season, the most on the F1 grid since 2001. “And the uncertainties? You don’t bother worrying about them. I think I have to perform each and every time I’m in the car.”

Ferrari secured a 1-2 finish in Melbourne last year led by Sainz, just two weeks after an appendectomy that sidelined him in Saudi Arabia. But the 30-year-old Sainz will likely be fighting for points and not podiums this time around now that he’s at Williams.

“I’m definitely going to do my best to score (points) as soon as possible,” Sainz said.

Ferrari is the most successful team in Australia with 14 GP wins, dating back to Adelaide in 1987. Hamilton is one of five drivers on the current F1 grid to have won in Melbourne, with his victories in 2008 and 2015.

Sunday’s season opener will be the 39th World Championship Australian Grand Prix, and the 28th in Melbourne. It starts at 3 p.m. local time (0400 GMT).

AP Formula 1: https://apnews.com/hub/formula-one