Amway Center Renovation?

[Max Power]

Howard, I think you’re right on all counts here. The Dreamers initiative is about the Rays, not expansion. Although I can see the group pivot and claim the opposite if the Rays stay in St. Pete or move elsewhere. But looking at this thing realistically, it feels like Pat Williams is taking a big swing at a pitch that was never actually thrown. There’s no way that tourist tax commission is going to approve 1.7 billion dollars for a stadium without a sure fire, contract signed and dried tenant. I won’t completely discount it happening, but yes it’s very unlikely at this stage even though I’d love to see it.

[rcklsscognition]

Amway Center opened nearly 13 years ago. It's old. It smells like the old arena. The ceiling is all messed up in so many spots, close up, it is worn down.

[AdamTheGreek]

Are you on the board that appropriates funds?

No. I just have a brain

Pat Williams is asking the county for $975M from the tourist tax which only covers about HALF of the stadium project.

Where's the other half of that money coming from? It certainly isn't coming from the Tampa Bay Rays owner.

And if the alternative is "screw relocating the Rays, we'll just get our own team when Tampa moves to Nashville or Montreal or Portland!" - there's that pesky little issue of the $2 billion dollar MLB expansion fee that no one has either.

Trust me, there will not be Major League Baseball in this city under any circumstances. For all intents and purposes, it's a fake proposal.

To be fair, and I mean this bluntly.

Amway sponsors Orlando Arena. Yuck.

We can't even get a sponsor for the Arena we have.

Otherwise, um, I don't have a dog in the fight other then being like "oh yeah another reason to have more traffic in Orlando...."

The DeVos family choose to have Amway as the named sponsor. If they wanted an arena name sponsor outside of the family business, they can easily get it.

[AdamTheGreek]

Howard, I think you’re right on all counts here. The Dreamers initiative is about the Rays, not expansion. Although I can see the group pivot and claim the opposite if the Rays stay in St. Pete or move elsewhere. But looking at this thing realistically, it feels like Pat Williams is taking a big swing at a pitch that was never actually thrown. There’s no way that tourist tax commission is going to approve 1.7 billion dollars for a stadium without a sure fire, contract signed and dried tenant. I won’t completely discount it happening, but yes it’s very unlikely at this stage even though I’d love to see it.

It’s $975 million tourist tax money spread over 30 years is the request (so $32.5 million per year). Even if those $40 billion revenue projections over 30 years are really $20 billion, this makes sense money wise.
Our market is growing, we can support this.
The tourist tax money wouldn’t be conveyed if we don’t definitely get a baseball team.
Normally I don’t want to see public money fund sporting stadiums, but tourist money that can’t be allocated to public needs (dumb law stipulation but that’s where we’re at) makes this an easier pill to swallow. Also, it does make sense for the county to be invested in this project and to not have an incoming ownership group be stuck with the entire bill. Especially when Pat stipulated that the new ownership group is on the cost hook for all future maintenance and improvements.
That seems to be the biggest barrier for MLB entry, no definitive billionaire owner/group…yet.
The stadium plan and renderings are great. I initially was adamant on the stadium being downtown, but with a SunRail station, a Brightline station (Orlando to Tampa will definitely happen if Orlando-Miami is a success), and the 528 being right there, that lowers my traffic concerns. Also, you’re still fairly close to Tampa (70 minutes) and theme park and convention center tourism will help it fill it.

Never doubt Pat Williams. That man gets it done in anything he puts his mind to. Remember, he was a baseball player and in baseball front offices before he switched to basketball. He’s been in the baseball world for over 60 years.
‘Dreamers’ won’t be the real name, it’s just the project name.

Pat’s had 4 years to think this thoroughly through.
Yes he prefers the Rays (that Tampa stadium project isn’t getting far and a move is very feasible), but expansion team can happen if the Rays move out of state.
It’s tough to fill up an MLB stadium for 81 home games, but the tourists will help a lot with that. Only a handful of teams average 3 million fans attendance per season. You’d have to average 37k out of that 45k-seat stadium to get there. It can happen.

Pat said this is all going to move fast. By the end of June/July we’re going to know a whole lot more on feasibility.

[UCFJayBird]

IF the Rays committed to relocating here, sure. But that seems very unlikely. I'd rather it go towards improving Camping World Stadium or even what UCF is asking for (homer choice, haha). But outside of maintence or if there's a significant issue that needs addressing, I'd prefer it not go towards any kind of expansion of the Convention Center because that place has had too much money put into it recently and is too big IMO (though if experts told me otherwise i'd listen, lol. just going off what i know at the moment).

I do think they need to tweak the laws. I'd like some of the money to be able to go towards infrastructure and roads, which I think is logical in those kinds of areas. It's great we have this tourist money, but at some point you're just throwing it at stuff that doesn't need it (looking at you convention center).

[JoshuaPotter]

IF the Rays committed to relocating here, sure. But that seems very unlikely. I'd rather it go towards improving Camping World Stadium or even what UCF is asking for (homer choice, haha). But outside of maintence or if there's a significant issue that needs addressing, I'd prefer it not go towards any kind of expansion of the Convention Center because that place has had too much money put into it recently and is too big IMO (though if experts told me otherwise i'd listen, lol. just going off what i know at the moment).

I do think they need to tweak the laws. I'd like some of the money to be able to go towards infrastructure and roads, which I think is logical in those kinds of areas. It's great we have this tourist money, but at some point you're just throwing it at stuff that doesn't need it (looking at you convention center).

Yes, the tourists cause wear and tear to the infrastructure as much if not more then the people do. (Like me.)

I would like that 2/3x a year I go into the tourist district for it not to be filled with holes in the roads.