Florida Mayor Rips MLB Owner After Stadium Debacle: 'That Bridge Has Been Burned'

The Tampa Bay Rays were all set to break ground on a new stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, when Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off Tropicana Field last October, rendering the venue unplayable.

The natural disaster set in motion a chain of events that led Rays owner Stuart Sternberg Thursday to decide the team won't contribute the money necessary to build a new ballpark after all.

More news: Rays Make Devastating Announcement About Stadium Deal; Is Relocation Next?

Five months after the Tropicana Field roof ripped, St. Petersburg mayor Ken Welch tore Rays owner Stuart Sternberg a new one.

"I have no interest in working with this ownership group," Welch said, via Colleen Wright of the Tampa Bay Times on Twitter/X. "That bridge has been burned."

The Rays released a statement from Sternberg confirming their stadium deal in the Historic Gas Plant District of St. Petersburg is effectively dead.

"After careful deliberation, we have concluded we cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment," the statement read. "A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision."

Sternberg was already under pressure to sell the franchise, which has called St. Petersburg home since it joined the American League in 1998.

According to The Athletic, the pressure from "commissioner Rob Manfred and some other owners" comes amid interest from at least one local group that would keep the team in the Tampa/St. Petersburg region, in accordance with Manfred's wishes.

"Major League Baseball remains committed to finding a permanent home for the Club in the Tampa Bay region for their fans and the local community," MLB said in a statement Thursday. "Commissioner Manfred understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from today's announcement, but he will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders, and Rays officials to secure the club's future in the Tampa Bay region."

After years of failing to find a suitable home to replace Tropicana Field, the latest setback is likely to fuel speculation about the beleaguered franchise's future in the region.

Recently a group of investors including Hall of Famer Barry Larkin has pushed Orlando, about 80 miles east of Tampa, as a possible relocation site.

"As for the future of baseball in our city — if in the coming months a new owner, who demonstrates a commitment to honoring their agreements and our community priorities, emerges — we will consider a partnership to keep baseball in St. Pete," Welch said in a statement. "But we will not put our city's progress on hold as we await a collaborative and community-focused baseball partner."

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