Pinellas leaders eager for St. Pete to resolve Rays stadium statemate

Tampa Bay Rays and Major League Baseball officials have made it clear they want to search for a new home for the team and leave Tropicana Field. LANCE ROTHSTEIN / STAFFCLEARWATER – A discussion by Pinellas County commissioners about a sports complex proposed for the Toytown landfill Tuesday shifted abruptly to the commission’s frustration with St. Petersburg’s inability to resolve its stadium issues with the Tampa Bay Rays.

The $662-million SportsPark LLC project, which includes a spring training home for the Atlanta Braves, could eat up as much as $10.5 million a year in county tourism tax money – the same source of money the city would want if the Rays decide to build a new stadium in…