The St. Petersburg City Council reversed course Thursday on whether to spend more than 23 million to repair the hurricane-shredded roof of the Tampa Bay Rays' ballpark , initially voting narrowly for approval and hours later changing course.
The reversal on fixing Tropicana Field came after the council voted to delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new 1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days before, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo.
"This is a sad place. I'm really disappointed," council chair Deborah Figg-Sanders said. "We won't get there if we keep finding ways we can't."
The Rays say the lack of progress puts the new stadium plan and the future of Tropicana Field in jeopardy.
"I can't say I'm confident about anything," Rays co-president Brian Auld told the council members.
