St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch on Rays potentially moving to Tampa, focuses for reelection bid
St. Pete mayor talks about Rays, city's future
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is about to kick off his reelection bid, and it comes at a time when the city is at a crossroads. FOX 13's Evan Axelbank reports.
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch is about to kick off his reelection bid, and it comes at a time when the city is at a crossroads.
The Tampa Bay Rays are focusing their stadium dreams on Tampa while St. Pete plows ahead on redeveloping the site that has hosted Tropicana Field for three decades. Welch sat down with FOX 13 to speak on the city's future — and his own.
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Welch on Rays' potential move to Tampa
One day after the Rays said they were aiming for a new home in Tampa, Welch said he's okay with that.
Pictured: Tropicana Field.
"That land that the Rays had owned for 25 years are now in the hands of the city," said Welch. "We've got much more flexibility, and we're focused on the jobs, the housing, the economic opportunity."
What's next:
He's expecting to decide in a matter of months on what will come next for the city's longtime conundrum: What to do with Tropicana Field.
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Proposals to develop the Trop site will be in place in early February, and this time, he has the luxury of picking one that won't have a placeholder for a ballpark.
That choice could shape his reelection campaign and potentially second term.
Pictured: St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch.
Mayor Welch's reelection bid
"I know that I'm the right person that continued the progress that we made in our city during some difficult times," said Welch.
The backstory:
The challenges the city has faced are forming the basis for his reelection campaign. Some of the items his campaign will focus on include:
- The rebuilding of the Trop itself, which kept the city out of legal jeopardy.
- The storm recovery, which required clearing an historic amount of debris.
- An affordable housing push that saw the creation of 4,300 units.
- And now, the preparation of a half-billion dollar stormwater bond vote.
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"We've done the work, we've been present, we've faced every challenge, and we've been transparent and forthright," said Welch. "Now, we had to tell some folks' ‘no,’ and I understand. But when we said we're running on inclusive progress, we meant that."
The other side:
The big decisions ahead, though, do represent opportunities for potential challengers. One of those is former Florida Governor and St. Pete Rep. Charlie Crist, who has raised money for a race but has not formally announced a run.
"I know him well," said Welch. "He's supported me, and I've supported him. But, he hasn't done the work at the local level. He hasn't been here the last five years. He hasn't lent his voice to any of the issues that I've talked about with you for the last 15 minutes."
He also brushed aside concerns that his reelection campaign saw several hundred thousand dollars allegedly stolen by a top staff member, saying she came highly recommended, and that they'll be able to raise new money to replace it.
"It was just a theft, and anyone who's been in business knows what that feels like," said Welch.
Pictured: Former Florida Governor and St. Pete Rep. Charlie Crist.
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Crist did not offer an immediate response to Welch's critique of his campaign.
What's next:
As Welch embarks on what could be his final campaign for public office, his record is just as important as his promises.
"This is where government is closest to the people," he said. "That's where my heart is."
On the Rays, FOX 13 asked what he'd do if the effort collapsed in Hillsborough County. He said he'd be happy to restart talks if the new ownership group approaches him with a fresh perspective.
However, he also said he can't offer anything similar to the previous deal the city and county had made, because those buckets of money are now spoken for. The storms that took the Trop roof down also exposed glaring infrastructure needs.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered during an interview with St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch.