A Hillsborough County commissioner has hit upon an interesting idea to solve problems facing Tampa and St. Petersburg.
Tampa's port could see cruise business dwindle because megaships can't go under the Sunshine Skyway to reach downtown Tampa. And across the Bay, the problems with Tropicana Field are well documented.
How about a trade?
According to Bay News 9's partner newspaper the Tampa Bay Times, Hillsborough Commissioner Victor Crist proposes to solve both problems in what amounts to a major league trade: St. Petersburg lets the Rays go to Hillsborough in return for the cruise ship business.
Officials said as the cruise industry transitions towards more mega-sized cruise ships, the Skyway's 182.5-foot height is barring those ships from entering the area. A possible option is a cruise terminal west of the bridge.
Crist said it's a perfect opportunity to address both issues.
Rays officials have said they want to look at the entire region, not just Pinellas County, as a location for a new stadium. Downtown Tampa has long been talked about as a possible location.
Still, the suggestion of a trade remains just that. Officials said many barriers remain, including that none of the parties involved truly know the Rays' feelings about the idea.
When asked, St. Petersburg Mayor Bill Foster said "That's an interesting suggestion."