Tropicana Field , also known as The Trop , is a domed stadium in St. Petersburg. Petersburg, Florida, USA, which has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball (MLB) since the team's inaugural season in 1998. The stadium is also used for college football, and from December 2008 to December 2017 is home of St. Petersburg Bowl, an annual postseason bowl game. Currently the only irrevocable domed stadium in Major League Baseball, and is the smallest MLB stadium with seating capacity when the unobstructed line at the very top is covered with a tarp as it does for most of the Sinar games.
Tropicana Field opened in 1990 and was originally known as Florida Suncoast Dome . In 1993, Tampa Bay Lightning moved to the facility and its name was changed to ThunderDome until the team moved into their new home in downtown Tampa in 1996. In October 1996, Tropicana Products, the company's fruit juice based near Bradenton, Florida, signed a 30-year naming rights agreement.
Video Tropicana Field
History
After Tampa was awarded the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Tampa Bay Rowdies in the 1970s, St. Petersburg decided to want part of a professional sport in Tampa Bay. It was decided from the beginning that the city would seek to attract Major League Baseball. Possible designs for baseball parks or multi-purpose stadiums were proposed in early 1983. One such design, at the same location where the Tropicana Field would eventually be built, called for an open stadium with a circus tent cover. It takes some design cues from Kauffman Stadium, including a fountain outside the outfield wall.
Finally, it was decided that a stadium with a permanent dome would still be needed for the major league candidates to survive in the area, due to the humid and hot summers and frequent lightning. Ballpark construction began in 1986 in hopes of luring Major League Baseball teams to the facility.
The stadium, built initially as the Florida Suncoast Dome, was first used in an attempt to draw the Chicago White Sox to a move if a new rough was not built to replace the aging Comiskey Park. The Chicago and Illinois governments finally agreed to build a new Comiskey Park in 1989.
1990s
The stadium was completed in 1990. It hosted the 1990 Davis Cup Final that fall, as well as some rock concerts, but still has no tenants. The place helps make St. Petersburg became a finalist in the MLB expansion for 1993, but lost to Miami and Denver. There were rumors about the Seattle Mariners moving in the early part of the 1990s, and the San Francisco Giants were approaching a move to the area, with Tampa Bay investors even announcing them, in a press conference in 1992. However, the sale was blocked by the owners of the National League , who voted against selling and moving in November 1992 under pressure from San Francisco officials and Florida Marlins owner, Blockbuster Video Chairman H. Wayne Huizenga. The local boycott of the Blockbuster Video store occurred over the next few years.
The Suncoast Dome finally got a regular tenant in 1991, when the Tampa Bay Storm Football League Arena debuted. Two years later, Tampa Bay Lightning from the National Hockey League made the stadium his home for three seasons. In the process, Suncoast Dome was renamed to ThunderDome. Due to the large capacity of what is essentially a park built for baseball, some records of NHL and AFL attendance are set during their time there.
Finally, in 1995, the dome received a baseball team when MLB expanded into the Tampa Bay area. The changes were made to the stadium and naming rights were sold to Tropicana Products which he named it Tropicana Field in 1996. The completion of what is now Amalie Arena in downtown Tampa allowed "The Trop" to be vacated for preparation for intended purpose, as Lightning and Storm moved into the facility that. The renovation of US $ 70 million later took place - to increase the $ 130 million stadium to be completed just eight years earlier. Ebbets Field is a model for renovation, which includes a famous rotunda replica that Dodger fans have greeted for years. The first regular season baseball game took place in the park on March 31, 1998, when the Devil Rays faced the Detroit Tigers, losing 11-6.
Although Tropicana was bought by PepsiCo in 1998, PepsiCo did not choose to make changes to the Tropicana naming rights.
2000s
The park was originally built with an AstroTurf surface, but was replaced in 2000 by a softer FieldTurf. The new version of FieldTurf, FieldTurf Duo, was installed before the 2007 season. Unlike other artificial grass fields used in baseball up to that point, Tropicana Field has a lot of dirt. Prior to 1998, all artificial MLB grass pitches only had "sliding holes" around the base. Because Tropicana Field does not need to convert between baseball and football, the sliding hole, designed to save re-configuration time, is not necessary. (Tropicana has organized soccer games, but never during the baseball season.) On August 6, 2007, the AstroTurf warning track was replaced by a brown stone filled with FieldTurf Duo.
Tropicana Field experienced a further $ 25 million facelift before the 2006 season. Another $ 10 million improvement was added during the season. In 2006, Sinar Iblis added the Cownose ray tank alive to Tropicana Field. The tank is located just behind the central field wall, in a clear view of the game on the field. One can go up to the tank to touch the creature. Further improvements prior to 2007 offseason, in addition to the new FieldTurf, include additional family features in the field of the right field, the creation of a new premium club, and several new video boards including 35Ã, ft ÃÆ'-Ã,ÃÃ, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, Ã, m ÃÆ' â € "20m) The Daktronics LED main video board is four times larger than the original video board. The 2007 renovation also added the capability of the built-in high definition television to the baseball stadium, with Fox Sports Florida and WXPX showing at least a quarter of the schedule in HD in 2007 and accommodating the aspect ratio of 16x9 new board video.
On September 3, 2008, in a game between Rays and New York Yankees, Tropicana Field saw the first official use of an instant replay in the history of Major League Baseball. The disputed fight involved a home run blow on top of a left-field drill by Yankee Alex Rodriguez. The ball is called home run in the field, but close enough so the referee chooses to see a replay to verify the call. Then, the Trop saw the first case of a call reversed by an instant replay, when a ball flew by Carlos PeÃÆ'Â ± initially ruled a double-ground rule due to fan interference, reversed and made a home run on 19 September. The referee determined that the intended fan, which was originally believed to have reached the right field wall, did not reach the wall.
In October 2008, Tropicana Field hosted the first postseason baseball game after Rays met the Chicago White Sox in the Division of the American League Division, the Boston Red Sox in the American League Championship Series, and the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series. It hosted a trophy presentation on the field for Sinar when they became the American Champions League on October 19, after Game 7 of ALCS. Chase Utley achieved the first World Series home run at Tropicana Field during the first inning of Game 1 of the World Series 2008. The Rays eventually lost 3-2 games and eventually the World Series to Phillies 4 game to 1.
2010s
The first no-hitter thrower at Tropicana Field occurred on June 25, 2010, thrown by Edwin Jackson of Arizona Diamondbacks, who had been a member of Sinar from 2006 to 2008.
About a month after Jackson's no-hitter on July 26, 2010, Tropicana Field was the first no-hitter site in the history of Rays when pitcher Matt Garza achieved the feat. Garza faces a minimum of 27 batters, because the only opponent who reaches the base (by foot) is erased by the double play that is affected by the following batter.
On June 24, 2013, in a match against Toronto Blue Jays, three Sinar players - James Loney, Wil Myers, and Sam Fuld - hit home runs in a row, the first at Tropicana Field.
Due to the massive flood caused by Hurricane Harvey in the Houston area, the Houston Astros played a series of "homes" at Tropicana Field in August 2017 against Texas Rangers while Sinar went on a previously scheduled trip. This is only the fourth time the game has been moved to a neutral location due to weather. Coincidentally, before Hurricane Irma arrived in the Tampa Bay area two weeks later, Rays' home series on the New York Yankees was transferred to Citi Field, home of the rival-rival crosstown Yankees, New York Mets.
In April 2018, after 20 seasons of serving Pepsi-based soft drinks, they switched to Coca-Cola's rival.
Maps Tropicana Field
Features
Architecture
The most famous exterior feature at Tropicana Field is the sloping roof. It was designed at an angle to reduce interior volume to reduce cooling costs, and to further protect the stadium from hurricanes. The dome is supported by a tensegrity structure and lights up with orange lights after the Rays win the home game. When Minnesota Twins emptied Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome after the 2009 season and moved to Target Field in 2010, Tropicana Field became the only active Major League Baseball stadium with a fixed roof (ie, can not be drawn). Catwalks attached to the roof that can not be drawn are rare but sometimes hindered by hitting the ball.
The main rotunda, at the eastern end of the stadium, resembles a rotunda of Ebbets Field in the interior. The walkway leading to the park's main entrance has a 900-foot (270 m) ceramic tile mosaic, made of 1,849,091 tiles one square inch. It is the largest outdoor tile mosaic in Florida, and the fifth largest in the United States. It's sponsored by Florida Power Corporation, which is now part of Duke Energy.
The 100 main level concourse is on the street level, with elevators, escalators and stairs separating outfield and infield parts, since the soil is on different levels on both sides. Concourse loge boxes are 200 levels further apart, and are carpeted, as they include the entrance to most luxury suites. The 300-level concourse is the highest of the concourses.
Gates
There are six entrance/exit gates to Tropicana Field. They are numbered clockwise. Gate 1 is the main entrance and is also known as Rotunda.
Dining and facilities
The seats at Tropicana Field are arranged with odd sections on the third bottom side and even the sections on the first base side. The hallway behind section 133-149 is dubbed "Left Field Street." The hallway behind section 136-150 is dubbed "Right Field Street." The 100-level seating covers the entire field with 360 ° streets. Behind the eye dough stadium is a common area of ​​the center of the field, known as The Porch, which provides fans with open seating and standing room to watch the game. The porch, along with other facility improvements, is part of a multimillion-dollar remodeling project completed before the start of the 2014 season. The Loge Box is displayed along a 100-level infield from a rotting pole to a rotting pole. 200-level seating features 20 sections along a foul line, damaged by a press box behind home plate, with plush boxes just behind and above them. 300-level seats wrap around the infield along the lines, as well as the "tbt * Party Deck" feature, a small capacity seating area on the left field field seat with separate concessions inside. The line is given the start letter closest to home plate and goes up further. Seats are numbered starting from the left side of the section.
There are a total of 70 luxury suites. 48 can be accessed from level 200, while the other 15 are at level 100.
There are a total of 2,776 club seats at Tropicana Field. Dex Imaging Home Plate Club has its own entrance, recliner, and premium buffet with on-seat service. The second club section, Rays Club, is on the first base side at level 100 at the Loge Box level. It features premium buffet and premium seating.
MacDillville is a section located on the right line, behind the Slight bullpen. This section is reserved for 24 tickets provided by Sinar for personnel returning from placements, family personnel deployed and staff assigned to the MacDill Air Force Base.
Field-level party sections were installed in corners in 2006. The left field field section is available for groups of 75-136 people and is now named "Ducky's 162 Landing". The section was named "162 Landing", referring to Evan Longoria's round-trip at the regular 162th and last season of the 2011 season that landed in that section, which snatched the wild American League card for Rays. In 2017, this section is named after Tampa sports bar, "Ducky's" featured on The Porch, and owned by Evan Longoria. The exact field party part is "Papa John's Bullpen Box" and is available for groups 50-85. When the right corner of the field is sponsored by the Checkers fast food chain, tickets to "Bullpen Checkers Cafe" include free food at the Checkers kiosk that borders on the passage. Beginning in 2008, the two parts of the party serve an all-you-can-eat buffet.
In 2008, Sinar also set aside part of the press box on the right side of the field, named "Press Level Party Area", as the buffet section eats as much as the general average fare. This is usually available for group groups of at least 35, but is available for individual tickets on the selected date.
Currently, the top 1/3 of the upper deck seating is stacked, artificially reducing the stadium capacity to 36,048 for the regular season of 2008. It was subsequently reduced to 35,041 for the postseason 2008 since tbt * Party Deck has been provided by Major League Baseball as an additional press area. On October 14, 2008, Sinar announced that the upper deck deck will be removed for the rest of the postseason, starting with Game 6 of the 2008 US League Championship Series. This increases the stadium's capacity to nearly 41,000, depending on stand-alone tickets being sold.
The Fan St Anthony Care Clinic is located between Gates 3 and 4 at level 100, part 102 (behind home plate). St. Medical Health Team Anthony staff is a clinic and offers first aid service to fans. A Baby Care Suite is located at 300 levels near section 300. It features baby changing stations and private nursing suites.
Located along the first floor are several clothing and equipment stores, and interactive experiences for fans.
One of the two main clothing stores the team is located in the stadium, near gate 1. Another major store, The Tampa Pro Shop & amp; Ticket Outlet, located in Tampa. Many smaller, smaller stores are located throughout the stadium, including the "Game-Used Merchandise" store located at Center Field Street.
Interactive experiences include:
- Grand Slam Alley : arcade-style arena sponsored by GameTime, located behind section 133, free on Sundays
- Topps : fans can display their images on Rays baseball cards, located on Left Field, free on Sundays
- Home Run Derby/Pitch Speed: simulator hit and throw, located behind section 134, free on Sunday Raymond's Art Studio : An art studio featuring coloring pages or crafts, and whiteboard walls (for fans 14 and under), located on Right Field Street near Gate 1 (Free)
- Interactive Playgrounds : Virtual virtual game queues that spin every three minutes, located between Raymond's Art Studio and Rays Touch Tank (Free)
Rays Touch Tank
Right above the right field fence is the Touch Tank Rays. The 35-foot tank, 10,000 gallons is filled with three different types of rays, including cownose rays taken from the waters of Tampa Bay. Tank is one of the 10 largest in the country. Entrance to the tank area is free for all the fans attending the game at home, but there is a limit of 40 people in the area at any given time. The tank is open for fans about twenty minutes after the gate is opened and closed for public two hours after the first throw. Fans can see close rays and get education about them.
These tanks and rays are sponsored and maintained by the Florida Aquarium, and educate people about rays and other aquatic life.
For each ball struck in the tank during the match by Sinar player, Sinar will donate $ 5,000 to charity with $ 2,500 go to Florida Aquarium and $ 2,500 go to player charity selections. For now, only six players have hit the home run that landed in the tank.
* Show run-off home run.
Concessions
Behind the center of the field on the ground surface of the stadium near the main rotunda entrance is a large, brewpub-style bar & amp; a grill called Everglades Brewhouse. The restaurant serves some craft beers beside having a full liquor bar and is open two hours before the first pitch. The "Fan vs. Food" challenge in the Everglades was introduced in 2014, consisting of a 4 pound burger and a pound of fries in less than 30 minutes to win two future Sinar game tickets and a T-shirt.
The Cuesta-Rey Cigar Bar is located upstairs from the Everglades Brewhouse, accessible by escalator, and across from The Porch in the center of the field, offering a large selection of cigars, many manufactured by companies founded in Tampa. The lounge also has an ordinary bar, an open seat with leather upholstery, and a large T.V. screen. This is the only indoor location in Tropicana Field where smoking is permitted.
Concessions at Center Field Street include Everglades Brewhouse, Taco Bus, Wine Cellar, The Carvery and Pipo's. The First Base Food Court features Papa John's Pizza, Fish Shack, Everglades BBQ and a full-service liquor bar. Third Base Food Court features Papa John's Pizza, and gluten free classics. On Right Field Street there is Bay Grill and Corner Craft Beer featuring many local breweries including Big Storm Brewing, Cigar City, Green Bench, Sea Dog and 3 Daughters. Green Bench Brewing offers a special edition drink just for the so-called 2-Seam Blonde Ale Rays.
In addition to various concessions, with vendors ranging from Cuban sandwich burgers to grilled sausages, there are also concessions of Outback Steakhouse and Papa John's Pizza. Outback is an establishment based in Tampa Bay. To compete with the established stadium hot dog tradition, the Trop introduced "Sting 'Em" Dog in 2007. It consists of a regular hot dog with chili and cheese. It was renamed "The Heater" in 2008.
A concession standing in the middle of the field features a gluten free version of classic ballpark food, including hot dogs, pretzels, and beer.
Ted Williams/Hitters Hall of Fame Museum
- For a list of applicants and recipients of various awards, see footnote
The Ted Williams Museum and the Hitters Hall of Fame opened in February 1994, in Hernando, Florida, in Citrus County - just a few blocks from Williams's residence in his final years.
In 2006, the museum and hall of fame moved to Tropicana Field after its original facility at Hernando went bust. The new wing of 7,000 square feet (650 m) was opened in 2007, now a venue for Ted Williams's Boston Red Sox and with the United States Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War, as well as monuments to members of the Hall of Fame Hitter is complete with memorabilia, with authentic memorabilia donations wherever possible and many of Williams's personal mementos himself from his career and post-game life. Williams did not include himself in his own Hitters Hall of Fame, and was inaugurated in 2003 only after he died.
The museum also includes the "Pitching Wall of Great Achievement", the Negro Leagues wing - including an exhibit about John Jordan's "Buck" O'Neil ("son" of Sarasota, Florida) - the "500 Homerun Club" exhibition, and exhibits on other topics , including All-American Girls Professional Baseball League and Tampa Bay Rays. Museums often host signatures and charity auctions during or before the game.
The museum is open during game days, opened at the same time as the park and closing after the 7th inning with a standing concession. Reception is free, and the museum is open to all ticketholders. In 2012, the museum is open until the 9th inning, but still open only on match days. In the last week of the 2012 season the museum re-closes at the 7th inning (early, not after the 7th inning) and is only open on the day-to-day game policy.
Important event
Basketball
Tropicana Field hosted the 1999 NCAA Men's Final Basketball, which saw the Connecticut Huskies defeat Duke Blue Devils 77-74 for the championship. Furthermore, no other NCAA men's basketball game is played at Tropicana Field.
Football
ArenaBowl IX was held there in 1995.
In 2008, the NCAA announced that Tropicana Field would host a postseason college bowl, bringing football to the dome. The game, originally called St. Petersburg Bowl for two games (2008-2009), is known as Beef 'O' Brady's Bowl for four games (2010-2013), returning to its original name for three games (2014-2016), and by 2017 given the new name Gasparilla Bowl. However, by 2018, the owner stated that the bowl has been moved to the Raymond James Stadium.
The Trop returned to football configuration on October 30, 2009, to host one of three home games from Florida Tuskers from United Football League, which has been invested by Sinar.
The East-West Shrine Game, an all-star soccer game of postseason played every year since 1925, has been played at Tropicana Field since 2012.
Motorports
World of Outlaws Sprint Cars shot in the Suncoast Dome on February 7-9, 1992 as part of Florida Speedweeks with several hosting activity tracks for a month.
The SCCA Trans-Am Series race was held from 1996 to 1997 with a temporary course that included parking lots and surrounding streets.
Concert
Tropicana Field has hosted numerous concerts over the years; one of the first major events after completion was a concert by Don Henley on June 29, 1990. Many famous artists have held concerts at the venue, including Eric Clapton (three times), David Bowie, Janet Jackson (twice), Steely Dan, AC/DC (twice), Guns 'N' Roses, Billy Joel (twice), Robert Plant, Rush (twice), REM, Eagles, Depeche Mode, Rod Stewart, Kiss, and Van Halen (twice) another. The biggest concert concert was for boy band New Kids on the Block in August 1990.
The number of large concerts at Tropicana Field has dropped significantly since (Devil) Rays was founded in 1998, because the 81-match club schedule made the schedule difficult, especially during the summer concert season. Also, the development near the Tampa of Amalie Arena (opened in 1996) and the MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater (opened in 2004) to busy concert venues has further limited the concert floor at Tropicana Field.
Rays Summer Concert Series
Beginning in 2007, Rays hosted the "Summer Concert Series" in which main and lesser-known players from many different genres of music performed after the chosen home game. A stage is usually rolled into centerfield immediately after the final of the ballgame, and fans are allowed to come to the field to watch the show at no additional cost beyond the ticket price of the match. The concert is usually held on a Friday or Saturday night, with more children-oriented events arranged for Sunday afternoon matches.
The first concert featured nostalgia acting Sha Na Na in June 2007, and the show was so successful that Rays booked a series of events for the next season, usually increasing attendance for the game. The participating artists include The Beach Boys, Los Lobos, LL Cool J, Sister Hazel, Kacey Musgraves, The Jacksons, REO Speedwagon, ZZ Top, Weezer, Kenny Loggins, Avril Lavigne, Joan Jett, and The Wiggles among many others, which amounted to over 80 performances at all.
In some seasons, the number of post-game concerts is as high as a dozen. By 2017, there are only two, and before the 2018 season, Sinar announced that they will stop the concert series due to "stress on artificial turf".
Criticism
Catwalk
Among the most cited criticisms of the stadium are the four catwalks that hang from the ceiling. The catwalk is part of the dome support structure. The stadium was built with cable-stayed technology similar to the already defunct Georgian Dome. It also supports lighting and speaker systems. Because the dome is tilted outwards, the catwalk is lower on the outside.
Catwalk is given a letter, with the highest inner ring is A Ring, exit to the furthest and lowest, D Ring. Ring A is entirely in the game, while B, C, and D Rings have yellow writing thrown at them to describe the relative positions of the dirty lines. Any ball that touches the Ring, or part inside Ring B, may fall to be beaten or caught for exit. C and D rings are not played; if they are jerked between the poles, then the ball is dominated by the home run.
On 5 August 2010, Jason Kubel of the Minnesota Twins hit a middle-high pop-up that would end the inning in a 6-6 game if caught, but the ball struck the A ring and fell safely into the middle of the pitch allowing the Twins to score quick goals and extended the innings in a controversial 8-6 ​​win. As a result, on October 4, 2010, Major League Baseball approved a change in the basic rules for A and B rings, so the ball being hit by hitting one of the two rings automatically decides the ball off, regardless of whether the ball strikes in a fair or dirty area. Rules relating to C and D rings remain the same. This change only takes place in postseason 2010 only.
On the other hand, some potential hits have been lost as a result of the catwalk. For example, Devil Ray Jonny Gomes was called up for the match against Toronto Blue Jays on May 12, 2006, when the ball that he hit landed on the B Ring and rolled to be captured by Toronto shortstop John McDonald. At the time of being caught, Gomes was headed home plate. Although Rays manager, Joe Maddon tries to argue that it should be at least a double ground rule since he stayed at B Ring for a while before it was off, eventually the referee decided against Rays and called Gomes out.
On May 26, 2008, Carlos PeÃÆ'Â ± hit a flying spike into midfield which is likely to be caught by Texas Rangers' franchise center Josh Hamilton. The ball instead hit the catwalk B ring and did not go down. PeÃÆ' Â ± a was mistakenly given a home run, but after deliberation, the referee gave him a double ground rule. This was the second time this happened, when JosÃÆ'Â © Canseco hit the ball that stuck to the same catwalk on May 2, 1999.
Many players have hit the C and D rings for the home run. The first player to hit the ring for a home run was Edgar MartÃÆ'nez of the Seattle Mariners on May 29, 1998. Martinez's escape began at D ring. Three players before he hit the ball that goes into the C ring. However, by that time, the ball hitting the C ring is not ruled home run. Two days before Martinez's home run, the basic rules were changed so that if a ball was about ring C, it would be called home run. The first player to hit the ring for a home run in postseason play was Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, who beat C offside Javier VÃÆ'¡zquez from the Chicago White Sox on October 2, 2008, in the 3rd inning of Game 1 of the 2008 US League Series.
On July 17, 2011, during a nationally televised game against the Red Sox, Rays Sean Rodriguez fainted hitting a high popup that smashed a lightbulb over the catwalk. The broken pieces of the ball fell onto the grass near the third base coach box. After a quick cleaning delay in which the Tropicana Field PA system plays a theme to The Natural , the game resumes.
Bullpens
The bullpens are located along (and close to) the left and right foul lines of the field and there are no obstacles separating them from the playing field. In fact, the fly balls shot into bullpens are being played. The bullpen player and the pitching carriage is an obstacle for the person who chases the fly ball into the pen. The team must place a batboy behind the catcher in the bullpens to prevent them from getting a dirty ball from behind. This bullpen style is usually common in the Premiership, and is still used in 2 other stadiums.
Interior
Another criticism of the stadium is the dull interior environment, especially in the early existence (Devil) Sinar, when the concrete interior is cruel compared to a large warehouse. However, since it is designed specifically for baseball, it is somewhat smaller and the line of sight is better than in most dome stadiums, which are often built to accommodate other sports as well.
Sinarberg's current Stuart Sternberg-owned group has invested several million dollars over the past decade to make the place more fan-friendly. New or enhanced features include larger scoreboard, video walls, catwalk sleeves, outfield touch tanks featuring cownose rays, walk-arounds that surround the entire field, two concession areas and outfield gathering, and many other enhancements and enhancements designed to improve the fan experience.
Location
Tropicana Field is on 66 acres of land in Midtown, St. Petersburg, Florida. The land of the stadium and the currently occupied parking lot was occupied by the Gas Factory environment from the late 1800s to 1986.
In the late 1800s, St. Petersburg embarked on a major recruitment initiative to attract people to help build municipal infrastructure and fill out low-income service jobs. African Americans are starting to move to St. Petersburg from across the south to fill this job. The inclusion of African-Americans in the area led to the formation of many black communities including the Gas Factory district. This area holds nearly 800 people, many small businesses owned by African Americans and three African American churches. The district's name comes from two fuel tanks that originally stood where Tropicana Field is now standing.
In 1979, the City Council Petersburg chose to renew the environment, because "the days are better." The plan promises to create new, modern, affordable housing and an industrial park that will bring a lot of new jobs to the area. In 1982 the developers did not offer proposals for the improvement of the district to the city council, even after the council specifically asked for a proposal. A group of Pinellas County businesspeople offered a plan to the board that required building a baseball stadium, in hopes of dragging a major league baseball team to the area. That year, the council voted unanimously to follow up in the hope of baseball and rent the land to sports authorities for $ 1 per year.
Most African-Americans who once lived and or worked in the neighborhood felt betrayed by the city and bitterly against the development of baseball. The City has offered, and followed up with, many of the reparations programs for residents and businesses of the Gas Factory district when the district was originally going to be updated, including financial relocation assistance. But these programs are welcomed only on the grounds that the area will once again become a functional community. When that provision turned citizens into anger and new reparation plans were rumored but never succeeded. As for the churches in the area, the offer of extended relocation to them from the City Council is "generous" according to one of the church pastors. This is believed to be due to the political power of the church.
The destruction of the Gas Factory district and the city's shortage in securing the economy and employment opportunities for abandoned African-American communities has left jagged ties between the city officials and the African American community mentioned above. The destruction of the Gas Plant district is financially crippling and killing many small businesses owned by African Americans and is often cited as the main reason that only 10% of St. Petersburg is the property of African Americans today.
The dome was built in the former site of a coal gasification plant and, in 1987, a hazardous chemical was found on the ground around the construction site. The city spent millions of dollars to remove chemicals from the area.
It is often criticized for being located away from Tampa Bay's largest population base in Tampa.
See also
- Amalie Arena, home of Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa Bay Storm
- Raymond James Stadium, home of Tampa Bay Buccaneers and South Florida Bulls
- Rays Ballpark, proposed a new stadium for Tampa Bay Rays that is currently pending indefinitely.
- Rays Park at Carillon, the second proposed stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays abandoned by mid 2015.
References
Source
External links
- Reviews Ballpark Intest of Tropicana Field
- Stadium site at raysbaseball.com
- Reviews Tropicana Field and Photos
- Tropicana Field Seating Chart
- Ted Williams/Hitters Hall of Fame Museum
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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