Neither Kriseman nor the Rays are thrilled with where stadium negotiations left off

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/12/05/neither-kriseman-nor-the-rays-are-thrilled-with.html

Neither Kriseman nor the Rays are thrilled with where stadium negotiations left off

Empty seats at Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays

The split-city concept was a deal-breaker for both the city and the Tampa Bay Rays.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/12/05/tampa-bays-most-prolific-apartment-developers-talk.html

Tampa Bay's most prolific apartment developers talk transit-oriented development, attainable housing and more

Crescent Communities LLC is the developer of Novel Riverwalk, which it sold for $312,000 per apartment earlier this year.

A Crescent Communities executive said it's a "shame" that Tampa is "devoid" of development opportunities near light rail.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2019/12/04/report-tampa-among-best-tech-cities-for-it-jobs-in.html

Report: Tampa among best tech cities for IT jobs in the nation

Tampa is among the best cities for IT jobs, according to a new report.

A recent report by CompTIA, a nonprofit technology trade association, ranked Tampa among the top 20 best cities for information technology jobs in the U.S.

To compile the rankings, CompTIA looked at the cities with populations over 250,000 that had the most job postings for tech jobs between August 2018 and July 2019. From there, the top cities were ranked by their cost of living, number of postings for open IT positions and projected job growth over the next year and next five years.

Tampa ranked as the 19th best tech city, one spot behind Jacksonville, the only other Florida city to make the top 20. The Big Guava ranked high because of its 6 percent projected job growth over the next five years. The city also had 43,151 tech openings in the last year, which affirms a recent report by Burning Glass, which found Tampa was among the top markets looking for tech talent.

“It’s no surprise to me Tampa ranks in the top 20 on this list,” Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said in a statement. “Tampa is a city on the move, a city full of visionaries, entrepreneurs, innovators and some of the world’s most creative thought leaders.”

The report also listed the top companies hiring in every city, which includes Citi, Raymond James Financial, Verizon Communications and JPMorgan Chase for Tampa. The city also boasts a median starting salary of $79,553, the report said.

The top 10 tech cities included:

Austin, Texas
Raleigh, North Carolina
San Jose, California
Seattle
San Francisco
Charlotte, North Carolina
Dallas
Atlanta
Denver
Huntsville, Alabama

Read the full report here.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/12/06/now-theres-even-more-questions-about-the-rays-future-we-have-some-answers/

Now there’s even more questions about the Rays’ future. We have some answers

Team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman on the Montreal plan, stadium sites, downtown St. Pete development and more.

Rays team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman in their office at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. [WILL VRAGOVIC | Tampa Bay Rays]

ST. PETERSBURG — Where the Rays eventually are going seems as uncertain as ever.

What appeared the best hope for a new permanent home in Tampa Bay blew up last December when the Rays announced that...

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.yardbarker.com/mlb/articles/rays_wont_be_allowed_to_split_season_between_tampa_bay_and_montreal/s1_13237_30737246

Rays won't be allowed to split season between Tampa Bay and Montreal

The Rays have explored the possibility of dividing future seasons between Florida and Montreal, Canada, but that no longer appears to be on the table. St. Petersburg mayor Rick Kriseman announced this week that he will not give the Rays permission to seek a Tampa Bay-Montreal split, per Josh Solomon and Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. While the Rays had hoped to play games in Montreal by 2024, that’s not happening without the blessing of St. Petersburg.

Rays owner David Sternberg isn’t thrilled with Kriseman’s decision, as he said, “We do not agree that this is the best path forward.”

Sternberg went on to suggest future relocation could be on the table, stating, “We recognize that we must now consider our post-2027 options and all that entails and we remain steadfast in our belief that the sister city concept is deserving of serious consideration.”

Likewise, Rays president Brian Auld isn’t happy:

“It remains clear to us, and we continue to believe that it’s also true for the city, that the worst of possible outcomes here is for the team to be compelled to stay here through the end of the 2027 season and forced to pursue other options in a noncooperative engagement with the city of St. Petersburg.”

The Rays will be free to relocate if they and their city don’t establish a new union after the 2027 season. Until then, the Rays are bound to Tropicana Field — which many regard as one of the worst stadiums in baseball. Thanks in part to their unpalatable facility, the Rays posted the second-lowest attendance in baseball in 2019. It looks as if franchise higher-ups have had enough. Auld essentially told the Tampa Bay Times that, barring a true solution to their stadium problems, the Rays stand a good chance of leaving when they’re able.

“We don’t like to say never, but I think as (Sternberg) said on the day of the (June 25 Montreal) announcement at the Dali museum, it’s highly unlikely that a full season baseball team in Tampa Bay is going to be here in 2028,” Auld said.

Meanwhile, Rays president of baseball operations Matthew Silverman admitted that “the clock is ticking” in regard to an answer on the organization’s future. If the Rays do exit Tampa Bay in roughly a decade, Solomon, Topkin and TB Times colleague John Romano list Orlando, Nashville, Charlotte, Las Vegas, Portland, Vancouver and even Montreal as possible new homes for the franchise. Orlando’s efforts to land a major league team are already underway.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://rayscoloredglasses.com/2019/12/06/rick-kriseman-survive-without-rays/

Mayor Kriseman says St. Pete can survive without the Rays

Mayor Kriseman on Losing the Tampa Bay Rays, “Would we be disappointed to lose the team? Absolutely. Will we and can we survive without the team? Absolutely.”
Stu Sternberg, the principal owner of the Rays, has been in negotiations with St. Petersburg’s Mayor, Rick Kriseman about the potential “shared season” concept. The idea of the shared season would entail the Tampa Bay Rays playing half of their home games in Montreal.

December 4th, Mayor Kriseman announced he had put an end to those talks after months of negotiations. The Mayor will hold the Rays to their lease, which keeps the Rays at Tropicana field full-time until the end of 2027.

The Rays had the second-lowest attendance numbers despite winning 96 games and securing a playoff berth in 2019.

Rays leaders ended talks of re-locating across the bay to Hillsborough County, despite being offered an early-out from their lease at Tropicana Field.

The Mayor appears steadfast in his commitment to getting a new stadium built for the Rays, as long as the Rays reciprocate that commitment to the city.

Here’s what the mayor had to say, following the announcement.

If you look to the past, what you see is attendance that has lagged. If you look to the future, you see attendance that is very different. Our city is exploding. It’s growing. We have new hotels, apartments and office space. This is a place a team should want to be,” Kriseman added. “Would we be disappointed to lose the team? Absolutely. Will we and can we survive without the team? Absolutely.”

-ABC Action News WFTS-Tampa Bay

The Mayor contends that the Tampa/St. Pete area is growing. He believes that attendance will catch up.

In April, the Tampa Bay Times noted,

“last year, Tampa Bay grew by more people than can fit into Tropicana Field, making the region one of the fastest growing in the nation, U.S. Census data shows.”

If only we could get some of those people to go to a Rays’ game!

The bottom line is, we showed up during the playoffs. When there is a good product on the field, the fans want to show up, even to the Trop. Should the city continue to develop the area and make it more patron-friendly, people might start adding Rays’ games to the list of fun things to do in St. Pete.

If the Rays would commit to securing more players long-term and understand what it means for a player to be a fan-favorite, it is difficult for fans to latch on to a player when there’s essentially a new team of players every season.

I noted in a previous article, about 25% of baseball fans in Florida say their favorite team is either the Yankees or the Red Sox. I understand we have a lot of transplants in the Tampa area, I am a transplant as well.

I found room in my heart for the Rays, and I believe you can too. This is about more than being a Yankees fan, a Red Sox fan, or a Braves fan (in my case), this is about being a fan of the game of baseball.

If you like to see your Yankees or Red Sox when they come to town to play the Rays in the future, you need to support our local team now…by the way, they’re pretty good at baseball, if you like baseball.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2019/12/06/from-disappointment-to-glee-local-leaders-react-to-rays-news/

From disappointment to glee, local leaders react to Rays news

Politicians on both sides of the bay weigh in on St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman’s decision to cease talks with the team.

Mayor Rick Kriseman on Wednesday said he will not allow the Tampa Bay Rays to explore splitting their season between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal prior to the 2027 expiration of the team's lease of Tropicana Field. [CHRIS URSO | Times]

The Tampa Bay Rays’ novel idea to split home games between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal is dead, at least for now. St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman announced Wednesday he’s not interested in...

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.trifectanetworksports.com/rhode-island-is-the-perfect-market-for-a-professional-soccer-team/

USL PAWTUCKET

Rhode Island is the Perfect Market for a Professional Soccer Team

Rhode Island is the Perfect Market for USL team

With the announcement of a downtown Pawtucket soccer stadium has to come to the reality check of can it succeed. According to the announcement of the project the venue will seat 7,500 fans and the team that will anchor the stadium will be apart of their USL Championship league.

For those not familiar with the American soccer system that is the second tier in structure beneath MLS. Unlike the Minor League Baseball system, however, the connection between the second tier and the first-tier (MLS) isn’t as direct. For example, an MLS team can have a USL team but the bulk of USL teams are unaffiliated. Even with an unaffiliated team though MLS players can be loaned to a USL team usually to gain them more playing time.

From a Rhode Island perspective, there isn’t much to base it on in terms of potential attendance. Last season Triple-A Pawtucket drawled on average 5,254 fans per year last season. That average, however, was a low for the franchise -12% to the previous year and -29% from five years prior. A lot of factors played into that decline (e.i. Stadium amenities, public perception of the team, and trend of the sport) and it is hard to draw a comparison between baseball attendance and potential soccer attendance.

Pawtucket

However, down in Newport Rhode Island, a Summer Collegiate baseball team called the Gulls posted 15% year-over-year growth and up 3% from five years prior. For a third Ocean State comparison, the AHL Providence Bruins have averaged north of 7,000 fans every season since 2010-11 but have seen year-over-year declines in their average for the past three seasons.

Revolution, MLS, and USL All Posting Negative Attendance Trend

If other sports aren’t a fair comparison there are a number of professional soccer relegated options in the New England area. The closest pro-soccer venue is at Gillette Stadium where the New England Revolution play. The Revolution posted a rough 2019 attendance average dropping 8.8% front the previous year. Their average in 2019 was 17,783 fans totaling out to 284,535 fans across 17 regular season matches. Now there are some pundits that look at the Revolution’s attendance decline over the past five years and see that as a sign that a Pawtucket USL team couldn’t draw. But that take is simply incorrect and ill-informed. The Revolution’s attendance decline is driven by the team’s lack of success of the pitch. Once they started to win matches again in the second half of 2019 the fans returned to the stands in droves.  Simply put, the product on the field matters.

As a whole MLS saw a -3% year-over-year trend. While Pawtucket doesn’t play a game until 2022 the rival for the team could be already sitting down I-95. The Hartford Athletic FC which just completed its inaugural season was able to average 5,025 fans which ranked 12th out of 36 teams. In totality, Hartford was able to attract 85,244 fans across 17 home matches. As a league USL Championship averaged 4,476 fans per match in 2019 down from 4,916 the previous season but some of that can be attributed by three additional expansion teams being added in 2019.

Trend of the Sport in the United States

Overall 2019 was an odd year for American soccer. Attendance was down in both MLS and USL, and the MLS national television numbers also dropped. On the flip side, the NWSL posted record-high attendance and the Women’s World Cup was a hit for the sport. Expansion continues to be rampant across MLS and USL, the priors franchise fees are now in the hundreds of millions. Currently, the expansion fees are propping up the leagues with many franchises continuing to not turn a profit. 

The sport of soccer is growing, but the balance between the favoritism between the foreign and domestic product is consistently moving. In addition to competing with foreign leagues for eyeballs, the domestic leagues have a tendency to pillage each other’s geographic locations and oversaturate markets.

Rhode Island already has a strong soccer base

Rhode Islanders love soccer. Consistently the Providence media market ranks in the top ten in the United States when it comes to nationally broadcasted soccer matches. In the 2017-18 Premier League season the Providence market ranked 4th nationally in NBC’s broadcasts of the matches. That came in behind Baltimore, Washington, and Richmond.

With that being said, the soccer market as a whole in Rhode Island shouldn’t be considered top 5 material when it comes to the domestic product. According to Gilted Edge, a Soccer Marketing group, the Providence market ranked 37th in the nation in 2018. The group’s study focuses more on the domestic product (MLS, USL, NWSL, etc.) and as a comparison, the Boston market ranked 23rd in their study.

That being said all of the market data does support the notion that a 7,500 seat stadium in Pawtucket should have the necessary fan base to draw regularly. Overall the key in any new sports team is to connect with the local market and build a strong base.

Need for additional events

The main problem that I see with the stadium is as of this moment the only team that will play there is the USL Championship side. Overall there will be a serious need to be other events at the venue. Personally, my preference would be to attract a professional women soccer team to the venue.

Pawtucket will have options outside of soccer. It could be local sports, concerts, and other events. Another possibility is the Boston Cannons. The Cannons who currently play at Veterans Memorial Stadium could be looking for a long-term home by 2022. Plenty of options and candidly the artificial turf portion of the venue will make it far more versatile than a baseball stadium.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://livingstonledger.com/eatery-brings-thai-cuisine-to-ybor/

Eatery brings Thai cuisine to Ybor

Asiatic Street Food + Noodle Bar offers a new dining option in Ybor City: Thai food.

"We wanted to offer street food from Thai culture where they have food on the side of the road, so we are bringing that here and portraying it in a better scenery," said general manager Surachai Mak Sinchat.

That scenery includes a signature Ybor, brick exterior, bamboo on the walls inside and a menu that boasts pork belly and grilled beef appetizers, pad Thai and all kinds of noodles: noodle soups, stir fry noodles and steamed noodles sans broth.

Asiatic Street Food + Noodle Bar is co-owned by Monchai Ong who is from Thailand.

"The thing with Thai food is, the ingredients are out there but everyone has a different style of cooking. He (Ong) adds his own touch," Sinchat said.

Ong is also part owner of Thai Thani and Oishi. He branched out of Channelside, where he first opened Thai Thani in 2004 followed by Oishi in 2009, into Ybor City with this new concept which held a soft opening in December.

"We saw that Ybor didn‘t have Asian offerings other than sushi and wanted to bring a different atmosphere to Ybor," Sinchat said.

The noodle bar offers dine-in and take out at 1600 E 8th Ave.

A grand opening celebration has been tentatively set for April 15 to coincide with the Thailand New Year.

For more information, call or visit asiaticstreetfood-noodle.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.prweb.com/releases/the_bainbridge_companies_opens_new_regional_office_in_tampa_florida/prweb16772546.htm

The Bainbridge Companies Opens New Regional Office in Tampa, Florida

Grand opening marks the company’s third regional office in Florida, signals continued growth as demand for apartments increases

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.tampabay.com/opinion/2019/12/05/on-rays-so-whats-the-plan-now-editorial/

OPINION

On Rays, so what’s the plan now? | Editorial

Playing hardball is one thing. Planning a Tampa Bay future for the team is another.

Tropicana Field is seen Tuesday in St. Petersburg. Mayor Rick Kriseman will not allow the Tampa Bay Rays to split their season between the Tampa Bay area and Montreal. Instead, he said both the city and team will abide by the contract that locks the team into Tropicana Field through the 2027 season. [CHRIS URSO | Times]

Major league baseball has been woven into the fabric of Tampa Bay for more than a century, when the Chicago Cubs beat the St. Louis Browns in St. Petersburg’s first-ever spring training game in 1914....

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.tampabay.com/sports/rays/2019/12/06/now-theres-even-more-questions-about-the-rays-future-we-have-some-answers/

Now there’s even more questions about the Rays’ future. We have some answers
Team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman on the Montreal plan, stadium sites, downtown St. Pete development and more.

Rays team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman in their office at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. [WILL VRAGOVIC | Tampa Bay Rays]

ST. PETERSBURG — Where the Rays eventually are going seems as uncertain as ever.

What appeared the best hope for a new permanent home in Tampa Bay blew up last December when the Rays announced that...

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.tampabay.com/news/pinellas/2019/12/05/pasadena-jewelers-will-close-after-three-generations/

Pasadena Jewelers will close after three generations

The South Pasadena store traces its origins to Ybor City more than eight decades ago.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.hotelbusiness.com/hotels-are-in-the-works-in-miami-tampa/

Hotels are in the Works in Miami, Tampa

Hotel Haya to Open in Tampa Next Spring

Aparium Hotel Group’s Hotel Haya in Ybor City, Tampa, FL, is slated to open spring 2020. The four story, 178-room lifestyle hotel will be located on the 1400 block of E. Seventh Ave. on one of Ybor City’s most historic blocks.

“Hotel Haya offers a rare opportunity to reflect on the deep layers and stories of one of America’s most unique, historic neighborhoods and bring new life into its future evolution in a very meaningful and purposeful fashion,” said Kevin Robinson, co-founder, Aparium Hotel Group.

The hotel’s name, Hotel Haya, was inspired by one of Ybor’s founding fathers, Ignacio Haya. The development will embody Ybor City’s eclectic flair and soul, incorporating an existing Mediterranean-style building that was the home of the Las Novedades restaurant for decades. Like many of Ybor’s early buildings, the hotel will include expansive balconies overlooking the street, echoing Ybor City’s architectural influences.

Aparium Hotel Group has partnered with Alfonso Architects to bring back a mid-century Havana design aesthetic to the structure. The lobby, complete with a 152-seat ground-floor restaurant and 42-seat café, will be designed as much for locals and walk-in traffic as guests. The hotel will also include an interior courtyard with a swimming pool and lounge area.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://stpetecatalyst.com/kriseman-remains-confident-rays-will-stay/

Kriseman remains confident Rays will stay

Social media has been buzzing after Mayor Rick Kriseman said talks between the city and the Tampa Bay Rays over the Rays playing half their season in Montreal are over.

In a statement released to the St. Pete Catalyst, Kriseman indicated he is grateful for the feedback he’s gotten and believes the Rays eventually will decide to stay in St. Petersburg.

“I truly appreciate all of the public support for my position related to the Rays and my remarks yesterday. Every single day I am committed to doing what’s right for our city and our region, even if it’s not politically expedient. Please know that the road ahead is still a long one and I am confident the Tampa Bay Rays will come to see the light of the bright future ahead and make Tampa Bay their forever home,” the mayor’s statement said.

Kriseman sent a memo to the St. Petersburg City Council yesterday, saying negotiations had ended and the “best path forward”  is to abide by  an existing use agreement. That agreement requires the Rays play in Tropicana Field through the 2027 season and bars the team from negotiating to play elsewhere until then.

Stu Sternberg, principal owner of the Rays, issued his own statement, saying the Rays still believe the idea of playing half their games in Montreal is an idea worth exploring.

Here’s some of the reaction from Facebook and Twitter.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://953wdae.iheart.com/featured/ronnie-and-tkras/content/2019-12-05-tampa-bay-rays-split-shut-down-bucs-noncommittal-on-jw-usf-top-3-hcs/

Tampa Bay: Rays Split Shut Down, Bucs Noncommittal On JW, & USF Top 3 HC's

Ronnie & TKras This Morning: St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman officially shuts down the Rays idea for a split-season w/ Montreal, and offers the team the option to discuss a possible 81 game slate in Tampa to which the Rays say no. Tampa Bay Times Bucs Insider Rick Stroud also stops by to preview the Colts game, talk about Jameis Winston's next payday, & explain why Bruce Arians went FULL-Lizzo yesterday on his QB. Plus, Lightning Analyst Brian Engblom called to chat about the Minnesota Wild in town, the Thursday Top 3: USF HC Candidates, & James Bond makes Whats Up Tampa Bay w/ a New Movie Trailer! Thursday's can be cool too...

(Follow link for full article.)

https://nationalpost.com/sports/baseball/tampa-bay-rays-plan-to-play-half-season-in-montreal-is-dead-report/wcm/dd88bbfe-bdee-4fcb-bc01-2eb81d691544

Tampa Bay Rays' plan to play half-season in Montreal is dead: Report

The team is contractually obligated to play all its home games at Tropicana Field through the 2027 season.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://clicklancashire.com/2019/12/05/pete-rays-end-talks-of-sharing-teams-home-slate-with.html

Pete, Rays end talks of sharing team's home slate with Montreal

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/e6teyy/merry_christmas_the_rowdies_online_store_is_live/

Merry Christmas! The Rowdies online store is live and open for business!!

Oh sorry, my mistake. That’s just the USL League 2 Sarasota Metropolis FC’s online apparel store. A first year USL2 club has an online store up and running before one of the most storied football clubs in the US could figure it out.

That’s right, it’s the busiest online shopping season of the year and we have to drive 45 minutes over the Skyway or across the HFB to St. Pete and find paid parking just to shop for a MF’n t-shirt or scarf.

FO: You told us in mid-August that you had a person or team dedicated to creating the online store and to just be patient for a little while longer. It’s been almost 4 months with nothing. I can set up a freaking Etsy store and get my first sale in about 15 minutes.

I know you’ve got big plans for a lot of stuff. This seems like the one of the simplest to check off the list. Please, please get it going. I just want to put some stickers and a stuffed Petey F’n Pelican in my kid’s stocking. It shouldn’t take a day trip to pull that off.

What ever happened to the old online store? Why was it taken down to begin with? I can't imagine any team would be dumb enough to make it harder for the consumer to give them money but here we are.

I too noticed this earlier this week. they used to have an online store, what happened to it and why wouldn't they keep that active until a new one was ready?

Thank god for the rays. 👎🏻

It is so bizarre that the Rays have just ignored the online store for so long. They are missing out on some added revenue, especially as we have gained a greater international presence with the Norwich partnership. Would be good if certain people could cover this issue to put pressure on management, cough cough u/unsubmatt and u/jmnutt.

We've mentioned it repeatedly online and on-air, and the Mob & Casuals brought it up at the Supporter's Summit as well. The Rays folks are a lot less vulnerable to our manly charms then when it was just the Rowdies team running merch.