A coalition supporting the Tampa Bay Rays, called A Baseball Community Inc., on Monday filed paperwork to become a nonprofit charitable organization to support the team’s effort to build a new stadium.
The group, also known as the ABC Coalition, has taken a lead role “to identify what it will take to ensure Major League Baseball” remains vital, viable, and successful in St. Petersburg, the coalition said on its Web site,
In addition to garnering fan support, the coalition plans to identify and assess possible new baseball stadium locations for the Rays.
The group was formed after the team recently halted its quest for a new $450 million, 35,000-seat ballpark on waterfront property in St. Petersburg to study the controversial issue further. The new stadium would have been largely financed with bonds.
Although the team has had a poor record in years past, the Rays were ranked number one in the American League’s Eastern Division on Tuesday.
The ABC Coalition is taking nominations for eight board members on its site. Jeff Lyash, president of Progress Energy Florida, has already agreed to be chairman of the coalition.
