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Relocation bay: identifying a suitable site for the Tampa Bay Rays

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Relocation bay: identifying a suitable site for the Tampa Bay Rays

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Copyright 2015 Carlos Osiris Martinez
RELOCATION BAY:
IDENTIFYING A SUITABLE SITE FOR THE TAMPA BAY RAYS

by

Carlos Osiris Martinez

A Thesis Presented to the
FACULTY OF THE USC GRADUATE SCHOOL
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
In Partial Fulfillment of the
Requirements for the Degree
MASTER OF SCIENCE
(GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY)

May 2015

ii
DEDICATION
I dedicate this document to my parents, my sister, and to Leslie for without their
everlasting support and motivation, none of this would have been possible.

iii
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to extend my gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Warshawsky, as well as to my
family and friends for enduring this process with me. Their guidance and wisdom proved
invaluable.

iv
TABLE OF CONTENTS

DEDICATION ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS iii

LIST OF TABLES vii

LIST OF FIGURES viii

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ix

ABSTRACT x

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Initial Stadium Search 2

1.2 Study Objective 4

1.3 Research Significance 5

1.4 Regional Obstacles 6

1.5 Community Impact 7

1.6 Study Area 9

CHAPTER TWO: RELATED WORK 14

2.1 Central Business Districts 15

2.2 The Suburban Exodus 16

2.3 Franchise Relocation 17

2.4 Stadium Design Changes 18

2.5 Downtown Revitalization using Stadiums 19

2.6 Mixed Success 23

2.7 Research Gap 23

v
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY 25

3.1 Time/Distance Variable 25

3.2 Population Variable 27

3.3 Critical Infrastructure Variable 28

3.4 Parcel Variable 29

3.5 Scoring System 30

3.5.1 Scoring System Metrics 31

3.5.2 Parameter Scoring Analysis 32

3.6 Targeted Sites vs. Non-Targeted Sites 38

3.7 Limitations 38

CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS 40

4.1 Control Analysis 41

4.2 Targeted Site Analysis 45

4.2.1 Time/Distance and Population Analysis (50 Points Max) 47

4.2.2 Critical Infrastructure Analysis (25 Points Max) 50

4.2.3 Parcel Analysis (25 Points) 55

4.2.4 Targeted Site Analysis (100 Points Max) 58

4.2.5 In-Depth Targeted Site Analysis 59

4.3 Non-Targeted Site Analysis 64

4.3.1 Time/Distance and Population Analysis (50 Points Max) 66

4.3.2 Critical Infrastructure Analysis (25 Points Max) 67

4.3.3 Parcel Analysis (25 Points) 70

4.3.4 Non-Targeted Site Analysis (100 Points Max) 71

vi
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 74

5.1 Key Observations 74

5.2 Future Research 75

5.2.1 Traffic Flow Analysis 76

5.2.2 Population Analysis 77

5.2.3 Travel Time Analysis 78

5.3 Conclusion 78

REFERENCES 80

vii
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1 Site Suitability Scoring System 31

Table 2 Burke et al. (2008) Table Showing Time/Population Join 33

Table 3 Time/Distance and Population Scoring Results 42

Table 4 Critical Infrastructure Scoring Results 43

Table 5 Parcels Scoring Results 56

Table 6 Final Site Scores 58

Table 7 Non-Targeted Time/Distance and Population Scoring Results 66

Table 8 Non-Targeted Critical Infrastructure Scoring Results 68

Table 9 Non-Targeted Sites Parcel Scoring Results 71

Table 10 Non-Targeted Sites Total Score 72

viii
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1 Tropicana Field, Current Home of the Tampa Bay Rays 1

Figure 2 Rendering of Rays Proposed Stadium in Downtown St. Petersburg 3

Figure 3 Tampa Bay Area Study Counties 12

Figure 4 Existing Professional Stadiums Within Tampa Bay MSA 13

Figure 5 Amalie Arena with Downtown Tampa Skyline 20

Figure 6 Locations of Targeted Sites 46

Figure 7 NYY Complex Drive Time Impedance Results 48

Figure 8 Channelside Plaza Critical Infrastructure - Close Up 52

Figure 9 Non-Targeted Sites Compared to Tropicana Field Location 65

Figure 10 Tampa Stadium Parcel Site 73

ix
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics
CBD Central Business District
CBP Carillon Business Park
CD Channelside/Downtown
CI Critical Infrastructure
CP Channelside Plaza
DHS Department of Homeland Security
DL Derby Lane
FSFG Florida State Fair Grounds
MLB Major League Baseball
MSA Metropolitan Statistical Area
NFL National Football League
NHL National Hockey League
NBA National Basketball Association
NYY New York Yankees
RJS Raymond James Stadium
RNC Republican National Convention
TS Tampa Stadium
WA Westshore Area

x
ABSTRACT
In the world of professional sports, stadium construction is a venture that can cost
communities hundreds of millions—sometimes billions—of dollars. While the process
of selecting a site based on human or political motivators (i.e.: Quid pro quo, public
subsidies, etc.) is dubious at best, the process of selecting a new site based solely on
geographic factors (such as ease of accessibility) is even more ambiguous. Historically,
new sites were located within a city’s limit and closer to population centers, but within
the mid to late 20
th
Century, this paradigm was abandoned and new stadiums were placed
farther from the cities that the teams represent. To identify a new location for the Tampa
Bay Rays within the Tampa Bay area, this study used socioeconomic (population
concentrations), traffic (accessibility), and geographic (parcel and land use) data to
determine where throughout the region will be the most viable location for a new stadium
facility. This research analyzed the population and the geographic construction of the
region and identified variables and parameters that determined the locations that could
best support the team throughout the region. The findings of this study show that, by
applying site suitability methods, the team can be sustainable within the Tampa Bay area
and that by selecting a site closer to the population center of the region, success off the
field can be achieved.

1
CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION
When the Tampa Bay Rays—then known as the Devil Rays—first entered Major League
Baseball (MLB) in 1998, their arrival was received with great fanfare and anticipation
within the Tampa Bay community. The Tampa Bay area, which over the last 100 years
was better known as the Spring Training home for most of the major league clubs and
their minor league affiliates, was finally awarded a professional franchise of its own.
Fortunately for the newly formed organization, identifying a stadium site was a short-
lived process. The area had, in hopes of luring a team away from another city, funded
and constructed a domed multi-use facility in downtown St. Petersburg, FL (Figure 1).
The domed facility currently known as Tropicana Field, had served as the temporary
home for the then expansion Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League
(NHL), and was vacated after the 1996 season when construction of their permanent
Figure 1 Tropicana Field, Current Home of the Tampa Bay Rays
Photo by the Tampa Bay Times

2
home was completed 23 miles north in the Channel District of downtown Tampa. The
dome finally had the permanent tenant for which it was built.
After the initial season, fan interest dwindled as the team struggled to produce a
winning product. The consistent losing—coupled with an apathetic fan base—caused the
organization to be relegated to the cellar of Major League Baseball’s annual attendance
records, win-loss records, and overall organization valuations (Oznian 2013). After an
ownership change in 2005, drastic changes were made to the organization—including a
name change to their current Rays moniker—in an effort to draw fans to the stadium.
These changes had an almost immediate impact to the on-field product but minimal
impact to attendance and franchise value. As of a result of these ongoing issues, Tampa
Bay Rays management and MLB leadership declared that the solution to these problems
could be achieved by relocating the franchise from its current location.

1.1 Initial Stadium Search
Following the 2007 season, the search for a new site that would serve the purpose of
increasing attendance at home games began. The search area was confined to the St.
Petersburg city limits and yielded handful of ideal sites that were proposed to local
leadership. The most promising site—seen in Figure 2—was an open-air, single-use
waterfront facility that was to be constructed on the current location of the historic Al
Lang Field in downtown St. Petersburg. As the process advanced, it was evident that the
community would not be willing to support the proposed project, even with owner Stuart
Sternberg covering over one third of the cost. Ultimately, the lack of public support
caused the project to be cancelled indefinitely. The Rays have since abandoned site

3
selection processes within the City of St. Petersburg, which has left the organization
facing the same issues it has since their inception.
In the 2008 season, the Rays experienced on-field success of an unprecedented
level. After finishing the 2007 season with the worst record in all of major league
baseball—just 66 wins to 96 losses—the Rays stormed through the league, finishing with
the third best win/loss record in all of baseball’s regular season (97-65), and ultimately
making it to the World Series but losing to the Philadelphia Phillies 4 games to 1
(Baseball-Reference.com 2014).
While the Rays vastly outperformed their expectations for the season, the same
could not be said for their attendance numbers throughout the season. The Rays finished
26
th
out of 30 teams with an average of 22,259 fans per game for the 2008 season.
Although this was an improvement over the 2007 season when they finished second to
Figure 2 Rendering of Rays Proposed Stadium in Downtown St. Petersburg
Rendering by The Tampa Bay Rays

4
last with an average of 17,130 fans per game (ESPN.com 2014), it was not enough to
sustain consistent fan attendance over the coming seasons. Since the 2008 season, the
Rays have averaged 20,887 fans per game (Baseball-Reference.com 2014) and have been
steadily towards the bottom of the league in attendance records while winning close to
77% of their games during the same time span. The disparity between wins and
attendance has called into question the suitability of the organizations current location for
the region and has driven team ownership and MLB leadership to evaluate if relocating
the team to another location within the Tampa Bay area—and outside of St. Petersburg—
would boost attendance. The lack of local support within the region, even with the
successes achieved after the 2008 season, has been detrimental to the organization and
has limited its abilities to draw and retain high value players, sponsors, and television
contracts along with casting doubt on the Rays solvency within the region.

1.2 Study Objective
The objective of this research is to facilitate the identification of a new stadium site for
the Tampa Bay Rays within the defined borders of the Tampa Bay area and that will
accommodate the organization and help counteract the issues facing the team. To
accomplish this goal the research analyzed historical stadium construction locations in
order to identify patterns that have emerged in stadium placements since the beginning of
the 20
th
century. This historical reference acted as a starting point for all site assessments
made and will assisted in limiting sites within the region to those that warranted further
analysis.

5
The most important criteria for this research is the distance factor. According to
Nelson, the farther away the stadium is, the less likely it is to attract fans (2002). By
using this as the foundation for initial site identification, an end-goal criterion for
successful sites was set. In previous stadium accessibility studies, a 45-minute ‘door-to-
door’ window of travel time was identified to establish high population accessibility
(Burke, Evans, and Hatfield 2008). To this end, population throughout the Tampa Bay
area is just as important to the study and further enabled the selection of the best site for
the Rays.

1.3 Research Significance
Throughout the initial research processes for this study, a consistent research gap
presented itself. As has been stated in numerous studies (Nelson 2000; Nelson 2002;
etc.), most research on the topic of stadium location pertains to the financial dynamics
surrounding the stadiums. This oversight has caused the process of site selection to take
a backseat to the financial ramifications of professional stadiums and has caused the two
topics to be synonymous to each other in existing research. The overall goal of this
research is to locate a successful site for the Rays and, contrary to most of the existing
research, place less emphasis on the financial aspects of stadium construction.
To fill this research gap, this study incorporated data sourced from the U.S.
Census Bureau along with local infrastructure data to identify a site based on population
metrics and the previously discussed criteria. The existing infrastructure datasets ensured
that the future site will have adequate support for the population influx and can sustain
future improvements. The data also served to suggest enhancements for future stadium

6
selections and ways to incorporate a stadium into a regions master plan. While the
overall structure of this research is that of a site suitability analysis, this research differs
from existing stadium studies—such as Burke et al.—in that locations have not been
identified in any official capacity. This difference allows for the research to establish a
rubric for identifying possible locations based solely on repeatable geographic factors
rather than being an afterthought during the initial processes of site selection.

1.4 Regional Obstacles
Unfortunately for the Rays, the process of locating a site outside of the St. Petersburg city
limits faces a seemingly insurmountable obstacle in the form of the lease contract the
organization has with the city of St. Petersburg. The contract—which binds the
organization to Tropicana Field and St. Petersburg until 2027—also prohibits the Rays
from speaking to any other cities under the threat of a lawsuit that would extend to both
the organization and the negotiating city (Nohlgren and Puente 2012). The issue of the
lease agreement and its verbiage has become so divisive that it was a hotly debated topic
during the 2013 Mayoral elections for the city of St. Petersburg (Pransky 2013) and has
been stated to be the city’s biggest issue facing the incoming administration (Puente
2013).
Overshadowing the legal obstacles with the city of St. Petersburg are the
socioeconomic issues that plague the Tampa Bay area. Not unlike many other cities
within the state and country, the Tampa Bay area was impacted unusually hard by the
economic downturn of the early 2000’s. In 2013, the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
indicated Florida’s unemployment rate to be 6.3% and the Tampa Bay Metro area as

7
having an unemployment rate of 5.9% (2014). The region is also frequented by seasonal
residents who don’t claim unemployment, but make up a portion of the unemployed
population within the region.
Accordingly, the rise in unemployment brought upon a rise in home foreclosures
within the Tampa Bay area. As of January 2014, the state of Florida ranks number one in
the country with 1 out of every 346 housing units filling for foreclosure and puts Florida
well below the national average of 1 in every 1058 units (RealtyTrac.com 2014). The
combination of these statistics could indicate that even if the new stadium were
constructed in a different part of the Tampa Bay area, the population wouldn’t have the
discretionary income—defined as the amount of an individual’s income that is left for
spending, investing or saving after taxes and personal necessities have been paid
(Investopedia.com 2014)—to support the organization more than they already have.

1.5 Community Impact
Having a professional sports franchise anchored within a community can impact the
community in a variety of ways. Beyond the economic impact that an organization can
bring to a region, a professional sports franchise can bring the people of a community
together, acting as a social network of interacting individuals (Bale 2000). In the Tampa
Bay area, the region has been the beneficiary of the direct and indirect impacts that
accompany having multiple successful franchises within the region. The area has hosted
four Super Bowls, the Stanley Cup Finals, two World Series games, and numerous other
national and global sporting events. Though these events are rare in frequency, they have
the beneficial effect of drawing billions of dollars, putting the region on the grandest of

8
stages, and also fostering a sense of pride within the community. In many instances,
these championship events would not be possible without having the associated sports
franchise within the region and can be seen as a motivating factor when communities
attempt to lure or obtain a franchise for their area.
Though financial impact figures are known for high profile sporting events, the
economic impacts of a professional franchise rooted within a region are more difficult to
calculate. Franchise and league officials have notoriously denied access to documents
that would serve to establish the financial vitality of an organization and the impact it has
on the local community. In the case of the Rays, rough estimates show the economic
impact on the Tampa Bay region being anywhere between $50-100 million annually
(Nohlgren 2013). Even though the direct community impact figures are difficult to
associate to the Rays, indirect figures can be substantiated through tourism studies
completed within the region. In a study completed by Research Data Services, it was
reported that baseball tourism brought in an estimated $70 million to the Tampa Bay area
within one baseball season (Nohlgren 2013).
Conversely, research shows that it can be difficult to establish direct positive
economic impacts that professional sports franchises have on a region. Though the Rays
generate up to $100 million in economic impact, the franchise simultaneously takes full
advantage of tax breaks—such as reductions on property taxes—issued by the city
(Nohlgren 2013). Regardless of what economic impact a franchise may have on a
community, it is a common connection that no region wants to lose a franchise. The
ramifications of losing a team to another city stretch beyond any financial gains that a
team may bring to a community. Professional sports have the ability to bring a

9
community together for one common cause and create a sense of pride within the
community. While there may not be any tangible way to calculate it, research done
among football fans in England showed an increased work rate when their home team is
successful (Bale 2000). On the other hand, in New York City there are some residents
who are still bitter at the city leadership for not placating the demands of the New York
Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, which ultimately led to the teams leaving the area
(Chanayil 2002). Given the right circumstances, the overall shock of a team leaving a
region could be immense and could possibly cripple a region that may have more than
money invested in a franchise. The integration of a team into a local system and the
psychological influence they have on the population can be best summarized by former
Pittsburg Mayor Tom Murphy (2005), who stated the following during a forum at New
School University, “… it's hard to imagine a Pittsburgh without the Pittsburgh Steelers or
the Pittsburgh Pirates … you get two messages from the voters: Don’t use public money
for ball parks to pay for the greedy owners, but don’t you dare let these teams leave”.

1.6 Study Area
One of the features that makes the Tampa Bay area unique, and therefore worthy of such
a complex study, is the layout of the region. The area that is defined as the Metropolitan
Statistical Area (MSA) by the U.S. Census Bureau encompasses three cities—Tampa, St.
Petersburg, and Clearwater—that are population dense and very diverse in their overall
composition. As of July 1, 2012, the U.S. Census Bureau estimates the population of the
MSA to be roughly 2,842,878 people (2013). While it should be simple enough to
classify the Tampa Bay area within the MSA, the classification ‘Tampa Bay Area’ is one

10
that is contested by the many different entities. The U.S. Census Bureau defines the
‘Tampa Bay Area’ as consisting of Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando counties
(2012) while Enterprise Florida—the state of Florida’s economic development
organization—lists Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, Citrus, Polk, Manatee, and
Sarasota as the representative counties (2014). As a direct result of this confusion and
lack of a specified identity, the study focused on the three counties that have recognized
themselves as being suitable locations for the Tampa Bay Rays: Hillsborough, Pinellas,
and Pasco County.
The study area seen in Figure 3 resides on the western coast of central Florida and
the three counties account for just four percent of Florida’s area at 2,741 square miles.
Although the area is relatively small in comparison to other MSAs qualified by the U.S.
Census Bureau, the area has been fortunate enough to draw and maintain three
professional sports franchises: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers representing the National
Football League (NFL), the Tampa Bay Lightning representing the National Hockey
League (NHL), and the Tampa Bay Rays representing Major League Baseball (MLB).
Each franchise has its own dedicated stadium within the study area that can be seen in
Figure 4—the Buccaneers and the Lightning play in stadiums located within Tampa city
limits located in Hillsborough County whereas the Rays play inside St. Petersburg city
limits in Pinellas County—and each team has seen its fair share of success. Both the
Lightning and Buccaneers have won the championships for their respective leagues,
while the Rays lost in the World Series.
The remaining portions of this thesis are organized in a fashion that serves to
reinforce the prevailing issues facing the Tampa Bay Rays organization. Where Chapter

11
One established a reference point for the problem the Rays organization is enduring with
the location of their stadium, Chapter Two analyzes the historical significances of
stadium placements since the turn of the 20
th
century and the dramatic changes that have
occurred in the last 100 years of stadium locations and design. Since the root of the issue
with Tropicana Field has been narrowed to its location within St. Petersburg, the
chapter’s main focus surrounds issues of professional sports franchise locations and how
they interact with the community. The chapter also discusses the mixed results from
stadium projects acknowledged in existing research and also identifies the scientific
research gaps. Chapter Three focuses on establishing the methodology for this thesis and
highlights the procedures that are used to identify locations that could possibly be
replacement sites. This chapter introduces the scoring methods derived for this thesis that
are crucial to identifying the best location. Chapter Four analyzes the results of the study
and deduces the best site for a new stadium. The thesis concludes with Chapter Five,
which is a summary of the findings identified in the previous chapters, identifies key
observations made throughout the research, and indicates what areas of the results could
benefit from more in-depth research.

12

Figure 3 Tampa Bay Area Study Counties

13
Figure 4 Existing Professional Stadiums Within Tampa Bay MSA

14
CHAPTER TWO: RELATED WORK
To attempt to understand why stadiums are placed where they are within a region, it
would be unwise to not address the historical impacts that professional sports stadiums
had on the formation of cities throughout the United States. When modern professional
sports gained popularity over 100 years ago, cities without a sports franchise thought
themselves to be inferior to those cities with teams (Nelson 2002). During the foundation
of these cities across the country, stadiums were being constructed in the regions where
the bulk of the population resided—meaning close to the heart of the city. As the
popularity of the teams increased, so did the desire—or possibly the necessity—for the
construction of larger facilities for the teams to play in. Because of this, the issues of
stadium funding were born. Invariably, the issues of public funding for stadiums and
stadium construction have been married since the first professional sports stadium was
funded using public dollars in 1953. Because of this marriage, identifying key research
on the subject of stadium placement has proved rather difficult and seemingly, the subject
has been rather ignored in favor of understanding the economic impacts of the stadium.
Nelson said it best in his research on the processes involved with major league stadium
locations:
“Research to date has been limited to generally evaluating whether major league
teams and associated stadiums contribute meaningfully to the national or regional
economies. With few exceptions, little attention has been given to where they
play within the metropolitan area.” (2002:100)

15
This research aimed to fill that gap by using scientific GIS methods and by understanding
the historical significance of stadium placement within the 20
th
century.

2.1 Central Business Districts
At the beginning of the 20
th
century, the typical design of a city revolved around a central
core. The core of a city, often referred to as downtown, was the figurative and literal
heart of a city. It provided the city’s residents their places of employment, places to
purchase their wares, as well as their recreation/entertainment. Before the advent of the
private automobile, downtown areas were designed mainly for pedestrian traffic and
almost everything was within walking distance (Robertson 1995). As the bulk of middle
class Americans lived and worked within these downtowns—also referred to as Central
Business Districts (CBDs)—professional sports franchises constructed their stadiums
within the boundaries of the CBD allowing fans to walk from their homes to the games.
In the earlier years of the 20
th
century, mass transit systems—typically
streetcars—were added to the CBDs to allow for city expansion. This allowed the
average resident to not be confined to specific portions of the city, and gave them the
freedom to move freely over greater distances in order to fulfill their daily needs. The
expansion of the cities coupled with mass transit options facilitated the boom in major
retail department stores within the CBDs. Rather than a few fragmented “corner stores”
for the residents to make their purchases, they now had the option of traveling to a major
department store and completing their purchases in one location. These stores became
fixtures throughout the downtown districts and were often seen as centerpieces to the
downtown environment (Robertson 1995). Similarly, professional sports stadiums were

16
just as iconic to the skylines and the CBDs identity. Teams such as the Brooklyn
Dodgers and the New York Yankees had created city identities with their stadiums in
Ebbets Field and Yankee Stadium respectively. These types of stadiums solidified the
franchise’s place and established a community of fans within the city.

2.2 The Suburban Exodus
Unfortunately for the downtown districts, the onset of World War II and the expanding
popularity of the private automobile changed the mindset of those that lived within the
city boundaries. Upon returning from World War II, the United States entered an era of
unprecedented economic growth. Sometimes referred to as the Golden Age of
Capitalism, this growth—along with other societal factors—brought about the shift in
mindset of where people needed and wanted to live. Commuting to work was now
beginning to replace walking to work and more and more people began using private
vehicles and mass transit to get to and from work. The dramatic change in living
situations decimated the downtown environments throughout the economic expansion
years—estimated to be between the mid 1940s to the mid 1970s—as residents fled the
chaos of the downtown core for suburban living (Cardwell 1999).
With the populations leaving the CBDs in favor of the suburban communities that
were sprouting throughout the outlying areas of cities, downtowns became more of a scar
on the landscape rather than the epicenter that they once were. The downtown
neighborhoods changed to the extent that people no longer cared to visit them for a
variety of reasons. For the major retail stores and the professional teams entrenched in
the CBDs, the loss of patronage caused them to make efforts to be closer to the paying

17
customers. By the mid-to-late 40’s many large department stores had built their first
stores outside of the CBD and in 1956, the first suburban enclosed shopping center—
called Southdale Mall—opened outside the CBD of Minneapolis (Eppli and Benjamin
1994). Professional sports teams followed the lead of the major retailers and looked for
stadium sites closer to suburban neighborhoods.

2.3 Franchise Relocation
In 1953, the Boston Braves decided to relocate out of downtown Boston to the suburbs of
Milwaukee and moved to a stadium that was closer to the residential population
(Cardwell 1999). The new stadium brought about change in the way that stadiums were
both architecturally designed and located in relation to the city that the team represented.
Milwaukee County Stadium was situated on the site of a former stone quarry and was not
considered to be within the CBD of Milwaukee, but was within easy access to the
interstate system that ran from the suburbs to the CBD. The success of the Braves in
Milwaukee ushered in a new era for professional sports, as teams were now looking to
venture out of the CBD to a more suburban environment or to an area with easy access to
those within the suburban population. The Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants
followed suit not long after the Braves and made their homes in the relative ex-urban
areas of Los Angeles and San Francisco. While the new stadiums in Los Angeles and
San Francisco weren’t in suburban areas, they were close to the interstate system that
would allow suburbanites to travel to and from the games in their own private vehicles
without issue (Cardwell 1999). The successful relocations of such high profile teams
from the CBDs of major cities to suburban environments initiated a flurry of movement

18
across all four major sports leagues in the United States with a total of 23 relocations
occurring in between the 1960 and 1979.

2.4 Stadium Design Changes
The relocations of these teams also spawned the boom in stadium constructions that
occurred across the country, and also introduced unique applications for stadium
construction and design. During the 60’s and 70’s, single use facilities were being
rejected in favor of more economically sound multi-use facilities. These facilities would
house more than one professional sports team, and would also be able to be used by the
city for special events when not in use by its tenants (Cardwell 1999). The multi-use
stadiums were typically not designed to be aesthetically appealing structures and are
often drab and utilitarian. Because of this, communities began to resist the construction
of these types of stadiums for fear of creating blight (Nelson 2001). While stadium
architecture is not the main focus of this research, ideally a stadium should fit in with the
neighborhood that it will be sharing. An environment that evokes nostalgia or has some
established historical significance is seen as a positive draw even for teams without the
best win-loss record (Nelson 2001).
Towards the late 70’s, stadium design began to evolve once again from simple
multi-use facilities to domed facilities. This was due in part to the success of the
Astrodome—constructed in 1965—in Houston, TX. The dome was constructed far from
the CBD yet close to accessible highways for the population to flow in and out. The
stadium also introduced the world to artificial grass that will be forever known as
Astroturf (Cardwell 1999). The success of the domed facility as well as the success of

19
the far off locations confirmed that if a stadium is constructed in a location with easy in
and out access, the people will come. One such domed multi-use facility constructed
within the 1980’s and finished in 1990 was the Florida Suncoast Dome in St. Petersburg,
FL. This dome, which at the time had no tenant, was constructed within the Tampa Bay
Region in hopes that it would attract a professional sports franchise. Before finally
obtaining a permanent resident in the mid 90’s, the dome was used as a bargaining tool
for teams that were demanding a new stadium in their region. The most famous case
occurred when the Chicago White Sox demanded a new ballpark within the downtown
confines of Chicago. New Comiskey Park—now known as Cellular Field—was
approved and constructed in the shadow of the outgoing Comiskey Park in the downtown
area of Chicago. One unintended consequence of the demand to remain in the same
location was that the New Comiskey Park became the first of the modern age stadiums to
be constructed in a downtown environment close to the CBD yet still be accessible to
those within both the suburbs and downtown residential areas (Cardwell 1999).

2.5 Downtown Revitalization using Stadiums
When it comes to placing stadiums in any specific location, economic impact in an
important factor to ensure that public dollars are not being wasted. While there are a
plethora of studies that focus on this subject, there has yet to be a convincing tie-in to
downtown or CBD revitalization being directed by the placement of stadiums. In some
of the existing research, there have been claims that the economic impact of placing a
stadium is rather a negative instead of a positive. Unfortunately, there is no one right
answer when it comes to economic impact. There are entirely too many variables—some

20
more permanent than others—that can either positively or adversely affect the results of
any economic studies. With that being the case, downtown revitalization using stadiums
is the current trend in new stadium construction. While the New Comiskey Park is seen
by some to be the trendsetter in revitalization efforts, it is by no means the best example
of aiding a community with a new stadium.
In 1992, the single-use facility known as Oriole Park at Camden Yard opened in
the CBD of Baltimore, MD. This construction is arguably one of the best examples of
stadium designers and planners taking into account their surroundings. Instead of the
stadium being an eyesore around the existing community, it was designed to fit in with its
surroundings and in an area that is accessible by those with private vehicles as well as
mass transit. It also was placed within a district that was easily accessible to those that
Figure 5 Amalie Arena with Downtown Tampa Skyline
Photo by Matthew Paulson

21
lived within the CBD and chose to walk to the games (Cardwell 1999). Oriole Park was
now the standard to be met when it came to stadium placements in downtown
environments.
Equally as important was the massive undertaking in Cleveland known as the
Gateway Project. The area was named as such due to its proximity to the interstates and
its general proximity to the entrance of the downtown area. The project went through
various iterations before construction actually began, but once completed, the area
housed a single-use baseball park for the Cleveland Indians and a multi-use arena for the
Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) (Chapin 2004).
Where the Gateway Project differs from the Camden Yard project is the severity of the
revitalization efforts. The neighborhoods surrounding Camden Yard were already
established before construction of the new stadium took hold. Contrary to this, the area
surrounding the Gateway project site required extensive restoration and buildup. The
Gateway project was seen as the rebirth of the area as existing infrastructure was being
reused, new restaurants and bars opened, and residential and hotel projects were
completed throughout the area (Chapin 2004). The Gateway area—which is now known
as the Gateway District—was the catalyst that the region needed and is recognized as a
successful redevelopment project where stadiums were at the center of revitalization
efforts.
The benefits of this type of project are not unique to Baltimore and Cleveland, as
other cities have used these types of projects for the revitalization of their downtown
environments. The city of Tampa started the process of revitalizing the downtown
district with the construction of the Ice Palace—now known as the Amalie Arena—in

22
1996 (Figure 5). The site is a multi-use facility that is in the core of the downtown
district. As was seen in the Gateway project, the construction of the arena in downtown
Tampa has brought about great change within the area. Following construction of the
arena, the area received a vast influx of patrons. This spurred the area surrounding the
area to have a demand for bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, and residential projects.
The area is currently known as the Channel District and is considered to be one of the
more popular areas in Tampa’s downtown. The area has also been a key catalyst in the
success of the Riverfront projects throughout the downtown region.
Along with the successes that are derived from the revitalization of downtown
districts using sports franchises, the national exposure can secure events that extend
outside the sports world. In 2012, downtown Tampa hosted the Republican National
Convention (RNC) within its downtown district. At the center of the events were the
Tampa Bay Times Forum—now known as Amalie Arena—and the Channel District. For
an entire week the nation was focused on the Tampa Bay area and, ultimately, downtown
Tampa. Apart from the national recognition obtained from the RNC, the financial impact
on the city was more than was predicted by economists. In a Tampa Bay Host
Committee study produced by the University of Tampa, researchers estimated the
economic impact of the event to be over $400 million in just one week. By comparison,
the annual estimation for a sports franchise within a city is over $100 million per year
(Chanayil 2002).

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2.6 Mixed Success
Unfortunately, not every project that surrounds a successful revitalization project shares
in the windfall of these projects. The Gateway District in Cleveland had its fair share of
failures and has also seen some regression from the rapid growth experienced upon
completion of the projects (Chapin 2004). Tampa has also experienced issues with its
Channel District including poor structural designs and retaining tenants within the
Channelside Bay Plaza. Some of these problems may be explained by the collapse of the
economy within the early 2000s, while others demonstrate the volatility surrounding
these types of projects.
Regardless of the issues surrounding some of these types of redevelopment
projects, downtown revitalization using stadiums is the current trend in the professional
sports world and will continue to be as long as the successes outweigh the drawbacks.
Ultimately, the success of these projects revolves around the simple principle of keeping
or attracting people to the downtown areas for longer than just the workweek (Cardwell
1999).

2.7 Research Gap
One repeating trend in the existing literature has been the lack of research completed
solely on the subject of site selection and stadium placement. In numerous studies
completed on subjects revolving around stadium location, this gap has been mentioned by
their respective authors (Nelson 2001, Nelson 2002, Chapin 2004, Noll and Zimbalist
1997, etc.). While there is no definitive reasoning behind this oversight and lack of focus,
it is understandable that the economic results would take more of a primary focus on

24
research topics. Unfortunately for almost all research that pertains to the subject of
stadium placement or construction, the economics aspect is not one that can be ignored,
overlooked, or omitted. Ultimately stadiums and the economics that drive them should
be a win-win for the cities they call home (Cardwell 1999). If placed correctly, and
planned responsibly, a stadium can be the economic windfall that so many regions
desperately need.

25
CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLOGY
To facilitate the process of viable site identification, a workable methodology needed to
be established to accommodate the requirements of this project. The methodology used
by Burke, Evans, and Hatfield (2008) served as the foundation and guided the
establishment of processes and procedures for stadium site identification. Their research,
which is similar in structure and goal to this research, spatially calculates the accessibility
of existing stadium sites within the Gold Coast area of Australia and determines the most
accessible site based on criteria set forth in their study.
Similar to the Burke et al. research, this research focused on a series of variables
that will enable the narrowing of viable sites. The variables to be used in determining a
proper stadium location for the Tampa Bay Rays are as follows: (1) Time/Distance
Variable; (2) Population Variable; (3) Existing Infrastructure Variable; and (4) Parcel
Variable. Individually the listed variables cannot identify the best site, but using refined
data and implementing it into the measured scoring system created for this research a
suitable site can be identified.

3.1 Time/Distance Variable
As previous research has indicated, a centrally located stadium facility is critical to the
viability of a sports franchise. As such, the variable with the greatest significance to this
research is time/distance component. As was stated in the Burke et al. research, 45
minutes of travel time to the stadium is considered to be “highly accessible”, travel time
over 75 minutes is deemed to be “reasonably accessible”, and anything surpassing 75
minutes of commute are said to be “unsatisfactory” (2008). Due to the make up of the

26
Tampa Bay area, following this standard would prove to be problematic, as it will
encompass to broad of an area. For the purposes of this research, the drive time
parameters are modified slightly: 30 minutes is considered “ideal”; 45 minutes is
considered “reasonable”, and 60 minutes being the allowable limit. Drive time beyond
the 60-minute threshold is excluded. This is not to say that fans will not travel beyond
the 60-minute window to arrive to the stadium, but for the scope of this research, those
patrons will be considered “unlikely to attend.”
To establish drive times, possible stadium locations need to be identified as a
starting point for proper analysis within the Network Analyst extension of ArcGIS. To
facilitate this, possible sites established in a 2010 Tampa Bay Times online database were
used to begin the process of traffic time analysis. Outside of the short information
section contained within the database, the sites depicted have not been verified as being
official candidates for a possible stadium. Instead, the locations are those that have been
discussed by pundits within the region as being possible suitors for a new facility. To
accompany the existing stadium locations, existing road and traffic data for the Tampa
Bay area expedited the extraction of drive times throughout the region.
To determine where throughout the study area the travel impedances extend to,
the Network Analyst extension was used to identify the service areas for each site. This
was accomplished by combining the location of each site with the road network data
layer and creating boundary levels that correlate to the travel time. As has been
established previously, the travel impedances for this study are less than 30 minutes, 30-
45 minutes, and 45-60 minutes. By creating these boundary layers a template was
created which would later be used in calculating the population percentages. For the

27
purposes of this research, physical drive distance was not calculated. This is in an effort
to negate any potential expediency issues as well as any complications that could arise
from attempting to determine physical distance traveled (i.e. farthest from the site, path
chosen, etc.).

3.2 Population Variable
Similar to the Time/Distance Variable, the Population Variable is crucial to the overall
success of a stadium site. In order to calculate the required figures, 2010 Census data
was analyzed at the block level to analyze the population density of the established
Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA. To determine the population figures for the
region, the templates created during the creation of the service area boundaries were used
to ‘cut’ away any areas that were outside of the impedances. By using the block level
Census data, a more realistic representation could be made of those homes that reside
within our outside of the impedance boundary. If at any time the impedance template
intersected a census block and the block was not completely contained within the
impedance, the block was omitted from the analysis as it would have proven difficult to
establish where the population resided. Defining where the greatest percentage of the
population resides throughout the Tampa Bay area ensured that the stadium site would
serve the majority of the population within the region.
In conjunction with determining population dispersion, it is equally as important
to identify where throughout the region the CBD is located. With CBD revitalization
efforts taking precedence in many communities, it is foreseeable that a suitable site can
be identified within the CBD of the Tampa Bay MSA. Over the years, the Census

28
Bureau has modified the definition of a CBD to reflect the trends within cities. In 1925, a
CBD was defined as a city’s principal commercial and retail district and formed the
nucleus of the city (Marlay and Gardner 2010). Throughout the 20
th
century, the
definition of a true CBD has become fuzzier, ultimately leaving the standing definition as
a relatively small area with high land values (Hendrickson 1986). The lack of a firm
definition will make the process of identifying the CBD rather tricky. In order to identify
the Tampa Bay MSAs CBD, a thorough analysis of existing commercial properties was
completed using property zoning data, business employment data, and property tax data
from the counties that make up the research area. The resulting data was related to the
population data to identify where the CBD is in comparison to the population center.

3.3 Critical Infrastructure Variable
For a facility as large as a professional sports stadium to succeed, there needs to be
supporting infrastructure in place not only to ensure the facility runs smoothly and
efficiently but also entices patrons to spend money within the immediate area in places
such as stores, restaurants, and hotels (Nelson 2001). Critical infrastructure, as defined
by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are the assets, systems, and networks,
whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that their incapacitation or
destruction would have a debilitating effect on security, national economic security,
national public health or safety, or any combination thereof (2014). While this definition
is sufficient and deserved for a government organization, for the purposes of this research,
the term critical infrastructure (CI) will be defined as any infrastructure that is vital to
support the success of the stadium with minimal impact on the system. This definition is

29
broad enough to ensure that all supporting infrastructure throughout the region is
analyzed to verify their existence, placement, and capacity to support a stadium facility.
To ensure that there is sufficient infrastructure currently in place to support a
stadium, the analysis of datasets containing public services (such as police, fire, and
hospitals), traffic (such as major road/highway access and speed limits), ancillary
recreation (such as restaurants and clubs), and accommodations (such as hotels) is
necessary. To guarantee the utmost accuracy, the datasets—which were sourced from the
Florida Geographic Data Library—were routinely recertified to confirm that the most up-
to-date file was used. In the majority of the datasets used, the last update had been
completed within the last 5 years. Buffer zones were created around the proposed stadium
sites and by accounting for the CI within the zones, a determination was made as to how
capable the immediate surrounding are is to sustain a stadium. As all location studies are
inherently different based on geographic layout and requirements for the site, the buffer
zones can be adjusted to fit the needs of any study area. For this research, the buffer
zones will be as follows: traffic – 5 miles; public services – 3 miles; accommodations – 2
miles; and ancillary recreation – 1 mile.

3.4 Parcel Variable
The final component to assessing a suitable site is focuses on the parcel, and more
specifically, parcels large enough to contain a stadium and its supporting structures. A
common point of resistance for a development project of this nature is the location of the
stadium and its impact on the surrounding community. A stadium being constructed
within a community usually signaled the arrival of blight and reductions in property value.

30
Consequently, communities have typically been resistant to allowing stadium projects to
proceed for fear of allowing blight to enter their communities and can make finding an
available site problematic (Nelson 2001). For this portion of the project, assumptions
were made in order to facilitate the identification of probable parcels. Currently, the
assumptions are as follows: (1) every parcel is available for purchase; (2) stadium design
will tie into the community negating ‘eye sores’; (3) and the restructuring/redirecting of
public roads is approved. These assumptions are simply to enable the process of parcel
identification and did not sway the results in any way. Every effort will be made to
ensure that the results and findings are not detrimentally impacted by any assumptions
made in this portion of the research. To accommodate these findings, the most recent
property parcel data from the county tax collectors was scrutinized to identify available
parcels that meet size criteria for the stadium site.

3.5 Scoring System
Once the data was refined using the variables listed above, the resulting data was
individually scored to determine which of the sites would have the most success. The
scoring system is based on a 100-point scale with differing values for the different
variables and parameters. Given that no two cities are exactly alike, the parameters of the
Scoring System are capable of being adjusted to accommodate different site studies.

31

3.5.1 Scoring System Metrics
To combat the problems of ambiguity when attempting to identify a suitable site
for a professional sports stadium, the Scoring System depicted in Table 1 was developed.
The system categorizes the variables and subsequently subcategorizes the containing
parameters for the purposes of attaching a total sum score to each possible site. While
the variables of the system are modeled after those found in the Burke et al. study, the
system devised for this research applies a value to each of the parameters within the
system. The system is based on maximum possible score of 100 points and will rank the
possible sites based on the location’s score.
Table 1 Site Suitability Scoring System

32
The system is subdivided into four equal sections that each total 25 points with no
category outweighing the other. The rationale behind this is simple: no two cities are
exactly the same, and therefore no two cities will put the same amount of emphasis on the
same variables. By keeping the categories even, it permits a true score to be based
exclusively on the variables and their corresponding parameters and allows different
cities to weigh variables or parameters as they see fit.
Within each variable are a series of parameters that comprise the scoring for the
associated variable. The parameters identified are those that are believed to best quantify
an ideal stadium site and are those that can be measured for the purposes of this project.
Within each variable, individual parameters have been assigned a value up to 25 points.
In the case of the Time/Distance and Population Variables, the point totals are based on a
singular value and are scored only once (e.g., travel time is less than 45 minutes to the
proposed site will receive 15 points) whereas the remaining variables are scored on each
parameter to compile the remaining score.

3.5.2 Parameter Scoring Analysis
Time/Distance
The parameters set for the Time/Distance Variable are modeled after the Burke et al.
(2008) study with respects to the time portion of the variable and where ease of
accessibility is the primary factor. This variable is the cornerstone of the study and is
necessary to analyze the remaining data. The analysis of the road networks throughout
the Tampa Bay area yielded results based solely on travel time. The resulting time was
used to score the site drive time using the rubric set forth in the Scoring System table.

33
This process was repeated for the Targeted Sites at the inception of the process and was
repeated for any Non-Targeted sites that were located afterwards.

Population
The Population Variable, in conjunction with the Time/Distance Variable,
identified the percentage of the population within the driving times obtained from the
Time/Distance Variable. By joining these two variables, a clearer understanding of the
population dispersion within the Tampa Bay area is depicted. As a result of the
combination of these variables, a precise line was drawn around the maximum population
percentages along with the maximum travel time. Similar to the Burke et al. (2008) study,
a table identified the percentage of the population that falls within each parameter level
and was scored accordingly. In essence, the ultimate goal of this portion of the research
is to yield 50 percent or greater population within 30 minutes travel time. The example
table shown below in Table 2 depicts the results from joining the two variables and was
sourced from the Burke et al. (2008) study.
Table 2 Burke et al. (2008) Table Showing Time/Population Join

34
Critical Infrastructure
Once a score was determined using the two previous variables, specific data drill
downs proceeded starting with the Critical Infrastructure Variable. For the purposes of
this project, this variable analyzed the various structural components of the region and
determined a score based on the combination of the contained parameters. Contrary to
the standard definition of critical infrastructure, for the purposes of this project, the
definition was changed slightly to simply encompass all the features surrounding a site
that could support a stadium.

Traffic
This parameter has the greatest value for this variable with 10 possible points. As
the data contained within this parameter are vital to the subsequent analysis, this portion
receives the most scrutiny and therefore the greatest value. This parameter encompasses
all the elements of available traffic and transit data and will be mined to draw out as
much information as possible. In order to score this parameter, traffic data will be
analyzed on both a high and low-level within a 5-mile boundary. Traffic flow before,
during, and after a game is a crucial component to ensuring success to a stadium site. As
such, major road proximities were the starting point in determining viability of any
stadium site. Ideally, a stadium should be close to major roads in order to allow for quick
ingress and egress of the site. The sites were analyzed based on their proximity to the
major roads. A close proximity from the site to the major road returned a favorable result.
This is the extent of the high-level analysis and led the way to the beginning of the low-
level analysis. The low-level analysis consisted of further data mining to extract

35
information that aided in the site selection such as (but not limited to) traffic crashes, stop
light locations, monitored intersections, speed limits, tractor-trailer routes, evacuation
routes, etc. The goal of this low-level analysis is to indicate impact on the roads and
determine if an increase in vehicle population during an event would dramatically impact
the site in question. The combined results from the high and low-level analysis were then
used to determine a final score for this parameter.

Public Services
The public services parameter focused on obtaining the locations of structures that
will assist the public and the influx of population at a stadium site. Stadiums, by their
very nature, require an immense amount of support from police, fire, and emergency
services. Proximity to these services is vital to ensure that proper emergency services are
available if needed. A 3-mile inclusion zone was established allowing all existing and
future services to be accounted for using a simple point counting method.

Accommodations
The accommodations parameter for this variable is simply to understand if a site
is capable of supporting the stadium and any tourism that may result. Not all fans that
attend an event are from the local area, and as such, hotel accommodations within a 2-
mile boundary were analyzed. This analysis produced a better understanding of the area
surrounding the stadium and determined if the site is currently capable of sustaining an
influx in visitors throughout a season. This parameter was measured and scored by

36
indicating how many hotels fall within the 2-mile buffer and defining the number of beds
within the zone.

Ancillary Recreation
As has been noted in previous research, revitalization efforts center on attracting
and maintaining people to an area. If a stadium site is to be the attracting force, the
maintaining force will have to be ancillary recreation outside of the stadium. To achieve
this, an analysis was completed to determine how many bars, nightclubs, restaurants, or
other entertainment zones are located within a 1-mile buffer surrounding each site. This
will determine how likely people would be to visit the area before or after an event at the
stadium site.

Parcel Availability
The Parcel Availability Variable is the final scoring measure for the Scoring
System. This variable consists on factors that would allow a proposed to be considered
as ‘available’. This is defined by three parameters: County/City Owned, Fits Stadium,
and Occupancy. These parameters were scored based on the findings of the parcel
analysis and the sites were ranked accordingly.

County/City Owned
Ideally, the simplest way to acquire land for a stadium would be by having the
least amount of resistance in its purchase. Because of this, sites that are owned by the
county or city are favorable for purchase. This would not exclude non-government

37
owned properties, but for the sake of expediency and to remove any human factors
related to real estate transactions, local government owned land would be advantageous.

Fits Stadium
The next parameter of interest for the Scoring System is the Fits Stadium
parameter. The purpose of this parameter is to seek out parcels that would fit the stadium
within their confines with minimal impact on the surrounding features (water front,
existing roads, buildings, etc.). This parameter will receive the next to lowest priority for
this analysis, as it may not be possible to determine what parcels or features can be
acquired with minimal issue. Also, depending on the location, it may be the case that
some of the supporting structures—such as parking lots—may not be required and
subsequently reducing the footprint of the stadium.

Occupancy
The final parameter analyzed is to determine if the parcel is occupied. While
identifying a site that is vacant is ideal, not all parcels are entirely vacant or may have
issues with the surrounding infrastructure. To this end, this parameter receives the lowest
scoring priority and has the least amount of impact on the parameter score. Also, since
occupancy can change rather quickly along with intent of use after purchase, identified
lots may not be available upon completion of the analysis. Because of this possible
fluctuation, a vacant site will receive full points, a partially vacant site will receive half
points, and a non-vacant site will receive no points. By ensuring that the parameter

38
receives a lower priority allows all sites to be considered without fear of skewing the
results based solely on availability.

3.6 Targeted Sites vs. Non-Targeted Sites
To identify which sites best meet the requirements of the scoring system, some locations
need to be known and input into the analysis of the variables. These sites, for the
purposes of this research are called “Targeted Sites”. The Targeted Sites have been
identified from the Tampa Bay Times (2010) database and were used to initiate the spatial
analysis. Once the analysis was completed using the Targeted Sites, locations that were
not within the database and fit the requirements of the scoring system were labeled as a
“Non-Targeted Site” and are presented and measured equally against the Targeted Sites.

3.7 Limitations
The biggest complication that can arise from this methodology is the arbitrary nature of
the scoring system as well as its simplicity. Considering that there is no precedent in
identifying a stadium site using measurable scientific methods, the values placed by the
scoring system may not reflect the true value of the variables. Also, for this type of
analysis to be repeatable in other cities, the parameters for the variables may have to
change. As an example, a 45-minute commute in New York City may constitute
traveling less than 15 miles, while in Milwaukee it may result in traveling close to 45
miles.
Another limitation for the real-world fulfillment of this research is the need to use
unknown or unverified Targeted Sites as a jumping point. Ideally, sites should be

39
selected based on the scoring system without the need for inputting possible sites first.
To facilitate this would require an immense amount of time and effort to create an
automated process for site identification. The automated system would remove the
prerequisite of needing a Targeted Site to determine suitability and would allow the
process to be endlessly repeatable irrespective of variable parameters.

40
CHAPTER FOUR: RESULTS
To locate suitable sites within the region, a thorough analysis was completed of both
Targeted and Non-Targeted Sites throughout the Tampa Bay area. The Targeted Sites
were initially identified through the Tampa Bay Times (2010) online database of possible
stadium sites located within the region. The Non-Targeted Sites are those locations that
simply identified themselves once analysis of the Targeted Sites was completed. These
sites have never received any scrutiny before this project and are sites that were not
included in the Tampa Bay Times database. Inclusion of the Non-Targeted Sites is for the
sole purpose of attempting to identify a location using the variables and parameters set by
the Scoring System without the need for knowing the sites before site selection begins
and attempting to validate the Scoring System metrics.
To initiate the study, a baseline analysis of Tropicana Field was completed. The
baseline analysis serves as a guide to establishing scores for the subsequently analyzed
Targeted and Non-Target Sites. Once a baseline has been established, the remaining sites
are analyzed in the same fashion, leading to a score that can be compared against the
existing stadium site and any future sites that may present themselves along the way. The
resulting data will show which of the Targeted and Non-Targeted Sites is the best fit for
the Tampa Bay Rays given the parameters set forth in the Site Scoring System.
Of the ten Targeted Sites listed in the Tampa Bay Times (2010) online database,
five were scored using the Site Scoring System developed for this project: Carillon
Business Park, Channelside Plaza, Derby Lane, the Florida State Fair Grounds, and The
New York Yankees Spring Training Complex. The analysis of the sites included Traffic
and Population analysis, Critical Infrastructure analysis, and Parcel analysis, which

41
resulted in one site having a clearly defined high score over the other sites listed in the
article. As predicted, three Non-Targeted sites emerged during the analysis process. The
sites were analyzed in the same fashion as the Targeted sites and yielded a clearly defined
high score.

4.1 Control Analysis
To better estimate the effectiveness of the Targeted and Non-Targeted analysis results,
the project was initialized using the current stadium site of the Tampa Bay Rays—
Tropicana Field—in order to establish a ‘control’ score. The location was scored in the
same fashion as the Targeted and Non-Targeted sites in order to achieve a constant score
for future stadium site surveys and analysis during this project.

Time/Distance and Population Analysis (50 Points Max)
As was stated in chapter three, the Time/Distance and Population Variables are
the most crucial to establishing overall success of the stadium’s location. Analysis of
these variables consisted of ascertaining a drive-time value from Tropicana Field
throughout the Tampa Bay area. To achieve the results 30-, 45-, and 60-minute
impedances were used to identify the furthest reaches of the stadium’s service area. The
resultant service area polygons were then joined with the population block level data to
establish the population percentages within the three impedance levels. The results—
which can be seen in Table 3—indicate that 1,358,758 people reside within 30-minutes of
Tropicana field. This equates to 52.05 percent of the population of the Tampa Bay area
and achieves a score of 5 points from the Population Variable. Expanding the drive time

42
to 45-minutes, the percentage increases to 87.42 percent with a population figure of
2,281,997 and a Time/Distance Variable score of 15 points. Finally, a drive time of 60
minutes returns a population percentage of 99.39 percent and a population number of
2,594,434. For the combined variables, the Tropicana Field site received a score of 20
out of a possible 50 points.

Critical Infrastructure Analysis (25 Points Max)
Exploration of the critical infrastructure surrounding Tropicana Field was
executed using the distance zones established in the Scoring System. The Traffic
parameter analyzed the number of On/Off Ramps to major roads/interstates, the number
of controllable traffic signals, and the average speed within the 5-mile buffer. As Table 4
depicts, surrounding the Tropicana Field area there are 102 on/off Ramps, 100
controllable traffic signals, and an average speed of 37.36 miles per hour. The value for
this parameter is 239.36 which, when analyzed to the Targeted sites, garnishes 4 points
out of a maximum of 10. The Public Services parameter analyzed the quantity of law
enforcement, fire stations, hospitals, hospital beds, international airports, and civic
centers within the 3-mile boundary. Analysis of the area surrounding Tropicana Field
Table 3 Time/Distance and Population Scoring Results

43
found the following results: law enforcement—4; fire stations–5; hospitals—4; hospital
beds—1301; international airports—0; civic centers—20. This combined for a count of
1334 and a parameter score of 2.5 out of 3. The subsequent parameter analyzed was
Accommodations. This parameter reflects an overall capacity for the hotels within the 2-
mile boundary. The immediate area around Tropicana Field indicated a maximum
capacity of 1,365 spread over 30 properties, yielding a score of 2 out of a possible 4
points. The final parameter analyzed was the 1-mile Recreation boundary. This focused
Table 4 Critical Infrastructure Scoring Results

44
on the establishments that will attract and maintain the patrons before and after an event
at the site as well as any other necessary components. Analysis of the boundary
identified 7 parks, 15 restaurants, 12 bar/nightclubs, and 5 full-time parking lots. With
the combined total of 39, the analyzed score is 7 out of 8. The combination of the
parameter results in a final score for the Critical Infrastructure Variable of 15.5 out of 25

Parcel Analysis (25 Points Max)
For the Parcel Variable of the Scoring System, Tropicana Field receives full
points on all parameter categories. This is a result of the site meeting all the requirements
of the established Scoring System parameters: County/City Owned, Fits Stadium, and if
the land is Occupied. No further analysis was necessary to conclude its score of 25 out of
25 for the variable.

Final Score (100 Points Max)
The final results of the four individual variables make up the score for the overall
site. In the case of Tropicana Field, it received 15 points for the Time/Distance Variable,
5 points for the Population Variable, 15.5 points for the Critical Infrastructure Variable,
and 25 points for the Parcel Variable. The overall score derived from the Scoring System
variables is 50.5 out of a possible 100.

45
4.2 Targeted Site Analysis
Having established a control score by examining the area surrounding Tropicana Field,
the assessment moved on to analyzing the Targeted Sites established in the Tampa Bay
Times database. The Targeted Sites shown in Figure 6 were reduced from the original ten
sites established in the database to five final sites, which received full scoring. This was
done in order to mitigate redundant results and introduce variation in the results due to
the proximity of the sites to one another. In some cases, the Targeted Sites listed in the
database were within 1-mile from one another and could therefore produce results that
would be very similar to other sites. Analysis of the Targeted Sites was limited to the
New York Yankees Spring Training Complex, Channelside Plaza, the Florida State Fair
Grounds, Carillon Business Park, and Derby Lane.

46

Figure 6 Locations of Targeted Sites

47
4.2.1 Time/Distance and Population Analysis (50 Points Max)
As was established in the baseline results for Tropicana Field, the process of establishing
a value for the Time/Distance and Population Variables is reliant on the two variables
being analyzed concurrently. Each site was analyzed individually and a score for the
variables was assigned accordingly based on the 30-, 45-, and 60-minute impedance.

New York Yankees Spring Training Complex (NYY)
This site—seen in Figure 7—is located within the city limits of Tampa within
Hillsborough County and is adjacent to Raymond James Stadium—home of the NFL’s
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Using the impedance levels set forth by the Scoring System,
analysis of the NYY site finds that 86.68 percent of the population of the Tampa Bay area
resides within 30-minutes of the site and, as a result, scores the full 25 points available
for the Time/Distance Variable along with max points for the Population portion of the
analysis. Expanding the analysis to the remaining impedance levels revels that 99.55
percent of the Tampa Bay population resides within a 45-minute commute of the site.
Finally, analysis of the remaining boundary level indicates that 99.99 percent of the MSA
population resides within 60-minutes of the NYY site.
Combined Variables Score: 50

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Figure 7 NYY Complex Drive Time Impedance Results

49
Channelside Plaza (CP)
This site is located within the city limits of Tampa within Hillsborough county
and is situated along Garrison Channel. The location is also located next to the home of
the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning, Amelie Arena. Analysis of the CP location indidate
that 83.71 percent of the population of Tampa Bay reside within the 30-minute
impedance buffer and results in maximum points for both the Time/Distance and
Population Variables. The site can also service 99.41 percent of the population within a
45-minute commute. Extending to 60-minutes, and the population covered increases to
99.999 percent.
Combined Variables Score: 50

Derby Lane (DL)
This site is located in Pinellas County and resides within the city limits of St.
Petersburg. Analysis of this site indicates that 1,835,440 people reside within 30
minutes of the location. This equates to a total population percentage within 30 minutes
of 70.31 percent and garners a score of 15 points for Population. The 80 percent
population threshold is satisfied within the 45-minute travel time impedance totaling
95.70 percent and rendering a 15 point score for drive time. Analysis of the 60-minute
boundary shows a 99.99 percent population coverage.
Combined Variables Score: 30

50
Carillon Business Park (CBP)
Located towards the outskits of St. Petersburg’s city limits and located within
Pinellas county, analysis of this site identifies that 1,816,364 people, or 69.58 percent,
can reach the CBP site within 30-mintues. With the boudnary pushed to 45-miuntes, the
population value increases to 2,471,745 which equates to 94.68 percent and renders a
score of 15 points for Population and 15 points for Time/Distance. Extending the
impedance value to 60-minutes indicates a 99.93 percent population coverage.
Combined Variables Score: 30

Florida State Fair Grounds (FSFG)
This site is located within Hillsborough county and resides within an
unincorported portion of Tampa. Analysis indicates a population pecentage of 69.19
reside within 30-miuntes, 99.26 percent reside within 45-minutes, and 100 percent of the
Tampa MSA population resides within 60 miuntes of the site. This generates as score of
15 points for Population and 15 points for Time/Distance.
Combined Variables Score: 30

4.2.2 Critical Infrastructure Analysis (25 Points Max)
To determine overall site readiness and the ability to sustain the stadium, a count of the
surround infrastructure was completed using the Scoring Systems parameter distance
zones. The distance zones are as follows: Traffic, 5 miles (10 points); Public Services, 3
miles (3 points); Accommodations, 2 miles (4 points); and Recreation (8 points). Upon

51
completion of the analysis, the sites are compared to one another and a final point score is
tallied.

New York Yankees Spring Training Complex (NYY)
Analysis of the Traffic parameter distance zone surrounding the NYY complex
identified 95 On/Off Ramps, 228 Controllable Traffic Signals, and an average speed of
37.95 miles per hour. This equates to a sum of 360.95 for the Traffic portion of the
parameter. Examination of the Public Services parameter indicated the following
infrastructure was within the 3-mile distance zone: law enforcement—3; fire stations—6;
hospitals—5; hospital beds—1370; international airport—1; and civic centers—20;
bringing the total for this parameter to 1,405. The Accommodations parameter identified
9 hotel properties with a combined capacity of 1,048, which averages out to be roughly
116 beds per hotel. The sum of this parameter is 1,048. Lastly, the Recreation parameter
was analyzed to identify structures that would draw event goers to the site before or after
the event. Within the 1-mile boundary, 1 park, 3 restaurants, 4 bars/nightclubs, and 17
full-time parking lots were identified. In total, 25 structures were identified for this
parameter.

Channelside Plaza (CP)
Anaylsis of the area surrounding the CP site—shown in Figure 8—resulted in the
identification of the following traffic infrastructure: 90 On/Off Ramps; 258 Controllable
Traffic Signals; and an average speed of 38.02 miles per hours. The sum for this
parameter is 386.02. The Public Services parameters identified the 2 law enforcement

52
stations, 6 fire stations, 2 hospitals, 1198 hospital beds, and 5 civic centers within the 3-
mile distance zone. The sum for this parameter is 1,223. The Accomodations parameters
Figure 8 Channelside Plaza Critical Infrastructure - Close Up

53
located 9 hotels within the 2-mile zone. Overall capacity is 1,665 with an average of 185
per location. The sum for this parameter is 1,665. Within the 1-mile Recreation zone,
the following infrastructure was identified: parks—3; retaurants—13; bars/nightclubs—2;
bowling alleys—1; tourist attractions—1; and 145 full-time parking lots. The sum for
this parameter is 165.

Derby Lane (DL)
Analysis of the area surrounding the DL site indentified 57 On/Off Ramps, 41
Controllable Traffic Signals, and an average speed limit of 38.74 miles per hour. This
equals to a sum of total of 136.74 for the DL Traffic Paramaeter. The analysis of the
Public Services parameter distance zone returned no law enforcement stations, 2 fire
stations, no hospitals, no airports, and 1 civic center giving the parameter sum score of 3,
the lowest of any of the categories analyzed. Examination of the existing
accommodations within the 2-mile distance zone discovered 3 properties with a an
average capactiy of 25. The sum for this Paramter is 75. Lastly, analysis of the
Recreation Paramter identified the following existing infrastructure: 5 restaurants; 3
bars/nightclubs; 1 tourist attraction; and 2 full-time parking lots. The combined sum for
this Paramter is 11.

Carillon Business Park (CBP)
Srutinzing the traffic data within the 5-mile distance zone surrounding the CBP
site located 83 On/Off Ramps, 57 Controllable Traffic Signals, and an average speed
limit of 39.13 miles per hour. This equates to a sum total of 179.13 for the Traffic

54
parameter. A survey of the Public Services Paramter’s distance zone returned the
following infrastructure: law enforcement stations—2; fire stations—2; international
airports—1; and civic centers—8; giving the parameter a sum of 15 structures. Analysis
of the existing hotels within the 2-mile distance zone identified an overall capcity of 1887
spread over 15 properties. This was the highest noted capacity figure identified
throughout the Targeted Sites. The sum for this Paramter is 1887. Reviewing the
Recreation Paramter for the CBP location identified only 4 restaurants and no other
structures, resulting in a Paramater sum of 4.

Florida State Fair Grounds (FSFG)
Evaluation of the Traffic parameter distance zone identified 92 On/Off Ramps,
144 Controllable Traffic Signlas, and an average speed limit throughout the 5-mile zone
of 39.59 miles per hour. This results in a sum of 275.59 for this portion of the analysis.
The Public Services parameter identified the follwing existing critical infrastructure: 2
law enforcment stations; 2 fire stations; and 4 civic centers; resulting in a finally tally of 8
for this Paramter. Analysis of the Accommodations Paramter identified 9 properties with
a total capacity of 749. This results in a sum of 749 for this Paramater. Review of the
Recreation Paramter for the 1-mile distance zone surrounding the FSFG location found
only two exisitng structures: 1 restaurant; and 1 full-time parking lot. This results in a
sum of 2 for this parameter, the lowest Critical Infrastructure sum for any of the analyzed
sites.

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Final Variable Scoring
Final scoring of the Critical Infrastructure Variable consisted of comparing the
Paramters for each site and scoring them based on the highest overall value. The
tabulated site scores are as follows and are out of 25 possible points: Channelside Plaza—
23.5; New York Yankees Complex—20; Carrillon Business Park—15; Florida State Fair
Grounds—12.5; and Derby Lane—9.5.

4.2.3 Parcel Analysis (25 Points)
As depicted in Table 5, analysis of the Targeted Sites parcels consisted of three
parameters: County/City Owned, Fits Stadium, and Occupied. As parcel size
requirements can vary greatly based on architectural designs, the baseline parcel size
required to fit the new stadium was based on the abandoned stadium design at Al Lang
Field in the Downtown St. Petersburg area. The waterfront parcel is 14.84 acres in size
and is bounded by Bayshore Drive to the West, 1
st
Avenue South to the North, 1
st
Street
North to the East, and Progress Energy Drive to the South. The design of the proposed
stadium location required reliance on existing infrastructure surrounding the site for event
support, meaning that the entire property is dedicated mainly to the stadium with minimal
introduction of additional infrastructure beyond the stadium itself.

New York Yankees Spring Training Complex (NYY)
The NYY parcel is roughly 24.77 acres in size and currently used by the New
York Yankees organization as the Spring Training facility for their Major League level

56
club. This parcel will fit the stadium as established by the Tampa Bay Rays baseline.
The site is county owned and would require minimal government interaction to acquire.
Variable Score: 18

Channelside Plaza (CP)
The CP parcel, which is currently an occupied entertainment plaza is 10.349 acres in size
and is bounded on Southeastern side by Garrison Channel, which is used by recreational
and commerical boaters to access Tampa Bay. This site, which in its current
configuration will not fit the baseline stadium, reqires expansion into Garrison Channel in
order to make the stadium fit. Channelside Plaza has struggled since its inception and has
changed hands numerously with the current ownership rights belonging to the City of
Tampa.
Variable Score: 10

Carillon Business Park (CBP)
The CBP site consists of a number of privately owned parcles that, when
combined, make up the proposed site. The combined size of the parcels is 20.499 acres
Table 5 Parcels Scoring Results

57
and would fit the baseline stadium with ease. A handful of the parcels are currently
occupied, but as they are owned by the same entity, the intent to construct the facility on
that site would be met with little resistance.
Variable Score: 11.5

Derby Lane (DL)
The DL parcel located within St. Petersburg, is the current site of the active Derby
Lane Dog Track. The site, which is currently privately owned, is 77.7 acres in size and
can fit the baseline stadium easily. The biggest hinderance to acquiring and developing
this site is the historic status of the Derby Lane Dog Track. The site has been featured in
many movies and is viewed as a landmark by St. Petersburg and its residents. Acqusition
is further complicated as the site is listed within the parcel registry as a tourist attraction
for the area.
Variable Score: 8

Florida State Fair Grounds (FSFG)
The FSFG parcel is massive in size and is the largest parcel studied for this
project. The site is 298.676 acres in size and could accommodate any stadium desing and
any required event support infrastructure with minimal effor. The site is currently owned
by the State of Florida and serves as the primary fair grounds for state and local events.
The size and layout of the site would permit subdividing the parcel and allowing
functionality of the fair grounds to continue as well as including a stadium. The site has
been subdivided in the past for other venues and could be once again.

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Variable Score: 11.5

Final Variable Scoring
The scoring breakdown—depicted in Table 3—shows that the best parcel
available from the Targeted Sites is the New York Yankees Complex with a score of 18
out of 25. The rest of the scores break down as follows: Carillon Business Park—11.5;
Florida State Fair Grounds—11.5; Channelside Plaza—10; and Derby Lane—8.

4.2.4 Targeted Site Analysis (100 Points Max)
Upon completion of the analysis of each sites based on the variables set in the Scoring
System, a final score was generated for each site. The score—which can be seen in Table
6—indicates which of the sites is best prepared to accept and sustain a new stadium for
the Tampa Bay Rays. As expected, the sites within the Tampa city limits scored far
better than those within St. Petersburg city limits and Pinellas County.
The site with the highest score was the New York Yankees Complex with a final
score of 88 out 100. Following close behind is the Channelside Plaza complex with a
final score of 85. The Carillon Business Park site scored the best of all Pinellas County
Table 6 Final Site Scores

59
sites with a tabulated score of 55 out of 100. The Florida State Fair Grounds site finished
with a 54 out of 100. Finally, the Derby Lane site scored the worst of all scored sites
with a final score of 47.5 out of 100. By comparison, all of the Targeted Sites—with the
exception of the Derby Lane site—scored better than Tropicana Field, which scored a
50.5 overall.

4.2.5 In-Depth Targeted Site Analysis
As was determined by the results of the Site Scoring System, the New York Yankees
Spring Training Complex and Channelside Plaza have scored the highest of all the
Targeted Sites. As a result, an in-depth analysis of each site and its potential to serve as
the new site has been completed. This analysis serves to paint a complete picture of these
sites and to better understand if the sites would be successful based solely on the
geographic positioning.

New York Yankees Complex (NYY)
The NYY complex is located on the southwestern corner of the Dale Mabry
Boulevard and Tampa Bay Boulevard and is currently occupied by the stadium and
associated training fields for the New York Yankees and their Single-A affiliate, the
Tampa Yankees. The stadium, known as George M. Steinbrenner Field, resides on land
that is owned solely by Hillsborough County and is considered a single use facility as the
primary function for the site revolves around baseball related operations. The site has
been used in the past for various national events and local events when not in use for its

60
primary function. The parcel is 24.77 acres in size and can easily accommodate a new
stadium and any accompanying necessary facilities.
Across Dale Mabry Boulevard resides Raymond James Stadium (RJS), which is
home to the regions NFL franchise, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Raymond James
Stadium has been in its current location since its construction and occupation by the
Buccaneers in 1996. Their former stadium, known as Tampa Stadium, was razed and
demolished upon completion of Raymond James Stadium. The site of Tampa Stadium is
due North of Raymond James Stadium and due East of the NYY complex. It is currently
used as overflow parking for events held at RJS and the NYY complex.
The area of where the NYY and RJS complex’s reside is known as Drew Park and
has been the only area where the Buccaneers have played since their creation in 1976.
The area is known locally as “dealer row” due to its high number of automobile
dealerships along this stretch of Dale Mabry. As a result of this, there are very few
residential areas that are within the immediate area of the NYY complex and would have
minimal impact on the lives of any residents within the immediate area.

Benefits
The NYY complex is located within an area that has been accustomed to hosting
between 8-10 games per year for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers every year since 1976. The
traffic infrastructure within this area reflects this as ingress and egress to RJS has
expanded over the years to accommodate the influx of traffic and population during these
games. While there are a considerably more games played yearly for a professional
baseball franchise versus a professional football franchise—81 versus 10—the capacity

61
of the stadiums is vastly different. RJS capacity is currently 65,890 and the capacity of
the baseline stadium is roughly 35,000. This difference should make the impact of
almost daily games for a major league baseball season versus the almost weekly games
for professional football season negligible to the area. Considering its proximity to RJS
and the community college to its southwest, the need for additional parking lots should
not be necessary apart from those created directly on the site itself.

Drawbacks
The area surrounding the NYY complex is very commercial and has very few
“quality of life” infrastructures within the immediate area. There are very few restaurants
within the area and there are very few entertainment options for those that are partaking
in event in the area. The area has been known as an “in and out” site for games and
events, meaning that patrons come only for the events and do not patronize the
surrounding infrastructure. Due to the commercial nature of the area, the site is very drab
and can be intimidating after dark. Another issue with this site is the proximity to the
RJS and the overlap of the MLB and NFL seasons. The MLB season typically begins in
May and ends September unless the team was to reach the postseason, in which the
season would extend to the end of October. The NFL season begins in August and runs
to the beginning of the following year, typically ending in January. This small overlap of
three months could pose potential problems for the site and the area as there is a potential
to have over 100,000 patrons within the area if game days were to coincide.
Coordination with league schedulers would be required to ensure that minimal impact
occurs for either team. Even so, as it has been seen it the past by teams that share parking,

62
it’s not always a possible to avoid schedule conflicts and logistical nightmares (Klemko
2013). The site is also outside of the CBD and business regions of the area. As such, any
future consideration for mass transit would more than likely overlook the site, forcing
patrons to ingress and egress via private vehicle only.

Channelside Plaza (CP)
The CP location is a waterfront site within the Channel District of downtown
Tampa. An entertainment zone that includes bars, restaurants, and nightlife activities for
the region currently occupies the 10.35-acre site. The site has been suggested in the past
because of its inability to draw and maintain businesses and patrons to the plaza. The CP
was constructed during the height of the housing and construction boom of the early
2000’s and has had its success impeded by high rent and mediocre patronage. This has
resulted in the plaza changing ownership multiple times within its lifetime and led to site
ownership falling to the city of Tampa. The site is bound to the North by the Channelside
Drive, to the South by Garrison Channel, the Florida Aquarium to the East, and
Beneficial Drive to the West.

Benefits
The CP location offers a considerable amount of aesthetic benefits over the NYY
complex location. The immediate area surrounding the site has been redeveloped over
the past two decades to be more inviting to visitors and also to attract residents to the
downtown area. Success has been moderate as there are residential properties being
erected throughout the downtown region and specifically the Channel District. One

63
major draw to the district is the presence of the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning franchise
and their arena known as Amalie Arena. The arena’s proximity to the CBD of Tampa
and the residential area of Harbour Island has aided in the success of the Tampa Bay
lightning and the accompanying recreational infrastructure throughout the area. There is
extensive parking available throughout the downtown region and the Channel District
negating any issues of finding parking for those traveling by private vehicle. The CP site
also has the added benefit of being a picturesque waterfront property that allows the site
to better reflect the region as a whole. The site is also close to many high-speed roads
throughout the area and allowed for the quickest ingress and egress of the sites scored.
Future development of the area surrounding the site could be benefited by placement of
the stadium within the Channel District. As the site is considered to be with the ‘prime’
areas of downtown, downtown redevelopment can begin simultaneously to stadium
construction, creating a well organized and very pedestrian friendly entertainment zone.
Finally, and probably the biggest benefit is the possibility for mass transit in and out of
the site location. As the site is within the established CBD for the Tampa, mass transit
options are endless for those that both live and want to frequent the area during an event.
Currently, the only options for mass transit within the CBD are small shuttles and taxies
with no options for moving a game day population during an event.

Drawbacks
The biggest drawback to the CP site is the size of the site itself. Basing the
required size for the new stadium on the baseline stadium, the site is roughly four acres
too small for the stadium. Given the current design of the immediate area, there are only

64
two options to make the site large enough for the stadium: 1) Build into Garrison Channel
and effectively narrow a popular thoroughfare for both private and commercial water
traffic; or 2) Reroute Channelside Drive to allow for construction of the stadium within
the site. Building into Garrison Channel could prove problematic as the environmental
impacts could cause the stadium site to lose support similar to the Al Lang Field site in St.
Petersburg. Rerouting Channelside Drive could also prove to be problematic because of
the proximity to a residential high-rise that is on the corner of Channelside Drive and
South Meridian Avenue. Channelside Drive also serves as access to the Tampa Bay
Cruise terminal and the Florida Aquarium and rerouting Channelside Drive—or
converting it to a pedestrian zone—could impact these two neighboring facilities.

4.3 Non-Targeted Site Analysis
After completion of the site scoring process, sites that fit the same criteria for a successful
site, yet not identified as Targeted Sites by the Tampa Bay Times database, were located
throughout the region. As the most people can be reached in the shortest amount of time
by placing the stadium site within the Hillsborough County, the search was limited to this
region. This search identified three sites: the Tampa Stadium Site, the
Channelside/Downtown Site, and the Westshore Area site. Their locations in comparison
to the location of Tropicana Field can be seen in Figure 9.

65
Figure 9 Non-Targeted Sites Compared to Tropicana Field Location

66
4.3.1 Time/Distance and Population Analysis (50 Points Max)
Tampa Stadium Site (TS)
During the analysis of the NYY complex, it was noticed that the former site of Tampa
Stadium—the facility that preceded Raymond James Stadium—had been converted to
overflow parking for events at Raymond James Stadium and the NYY complex. Given
the NYY complex’s proximity to the bulk of the population and the quick access to the
site, this site was chosen as a Non-Targeted Site.
Similar to the NYY complex, this site scored a perfect score for the
Time/Distance and Population Variables by having 86.70 percent of the population
within 30-minutes of the site. Within 45-minutes, the site can serve 99.50 percent of the
Tampa Bay population and when pushed to 60-minutes, this site can serve 99.998 percent
of the region. These results can be seen in Table 7.
Combined Variable Score: 50

Westshore Area Site (WA)
Contrary to the other two Non-Targeted Sites, the WA site was identified by
matching the size requirements for the baseline stadium site. The site is also located
within the drive time and distances that have been established as being favorable for
Table 7 Non-Targeted Time/Distance and Population Scoring Results

67
stadium success. Analysis of this site indicated that 86.35 percent of the population
resides within a 30-minute commute of the site. Further analysis revealed 99.31 percent
within 45-minutes and 99.998 percent within 60 minutes. These results garner full points
for each of the variables analyzed.
Combined Variable Score: 50

Channelside/Downtown Site (CD)
The CD site was located using methods similar to those used to identify the TS
site. The site is directly adjacent to the CP location and is comprised of vacant lots
within the downtown district. Given the high marks received by the CP site for both
Time/Distance and Population, this site was located and analyzed. Just like the CP site,
this site also managed a perfect score for these combined variables. Analysis reveals that
2,201,553 people (84.34 percent) reside within 30 minutes of the CD location.
Expanding to 45-minutes indicates 99.43 percent population coverage and 99.999 percent
coverage at the 60-minute mark.
Combined Variable Score: 50

4.3.2 Critical Infrastructure Analysis (25 Points Max)
Tampa Stadium Site (TS)
As the TS site is adjacent to the NYY complex, the Critical Infrastructure review
indicated similar results. The Traffic parameter of the variable indicated that there are
114 on/off ramps, 260 controllable traffic signals, and an average speed limit of 38 miles
per hour. The sum score for this parameter is 412, which is the highest of the three Non-

68
Targeted Sites analyzed. The Public Service parameter results indicated the following
structures within the 3-mile distance zone: 3 law enforcement stations; 5 fire stations; 5
hospitals with 1,370 beds; 1 international airport; and 21 civic centers. The combined
sum for this parameter is 1405. Review of the Accommodations parameter for the TS
site identified 11 properties within the 2-mile distance zone with a total capacity of 1581.
The sum score for this parameter is 1581. Finally, the Recreation parameter indicated the
following infrastructure within the 1-mile distance zone: 3 restaurants, 2 bars/nightclubs,
and 17 full-time parking lots. The sum total for this parameter is 22 and can be seen in
Table 8.

Table 8 Non-Targeted Critical Infrastructure Scoring Results

69
Westshore Area Site (WA)
Examination of the 5-mile distance zone for the Traffic parameter identified the
following infrastructure: 90 on/off ramps; 144 controllable traffic signals; and an average
speed limit of 37.83 miles per hour. The sum total for this parameter is 271.83. Analysis
of the Public Services parameter within the 3-mile distance zone identified 3 law
enforcement stations, 4 fire stations, 1 international airport, and 22 civic centers giving
this parameter a sum total of 30. Looking at the accommodations within the 2-mile
distance zone showed an average capacity of 209 spread over 22 properties. This brings
the sum total for this parameter to 4604. Finally, the Recreation parameter was analyzed
and indicated the following infrastructure within the 1-mile distance zone: 8 restaurants,
1 bar/nightclub, and 7 full-time parking lots. The sum total for this parameter is 16.

Channelside/Downtown Site (CD)
The 5-mile traffic distance zone was analyzed and the following infrastructure
was identified: 99 on/off ramps, 263 controllable traffic signals, and an average speed
limit of 38.06 miles per hour. The sum total for this parameter is 400.06. Studying the
infrastructure for the Public Services distance zone identified the following: law
enforcement—2; fire stations—7; hospitals—2, hospital beds—1198; and civic centers—
16. The sum total for this parameter is 1,225. The Accommodations parameter was
analyzed using the 2-mile distance zone and located 10 properties with a total capacity of
1686. The sum total for this parameter is 1686. The Recreation parameter was analyzed
using the established 1-mile distance zone. Analysis of this parameter identified the
following infrastructure: 5 parks; 15 restaurants; 2 bars/nightclubs; 1 bowling

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alley/skating rink; 1 tourist attraction; and 157 full-time parking lots. The sum total for
this parameter is 181.

Final Variable Scoring
The final score and ranking for the Non-Targeted Sites was caluclated in the same
fashion as the Targeted Sites. The sum totals of each of the parameters were calculated
and a final score was tabulated. The top scoring site for this variable is the
Channelside/Downtown site with a final score of 20 out of 25. It is followed closely by
the Tampa Stadium site, which scored 19 out of 25. Finally, the Westshore Area site
scored the lowest with 15 out of 25 points.

4.3.3 Parcel Analysis (25 Points)
Tampa Stadium Site (TS)
The parcel shown in Figure 10, which was once the site of Tampa Stadium, is 33.64 acres
in size and can accommodate the baseline stadium and any event related infrastructure.
The site is directly to the North of Raymond James Stadium and directly East of the NYY
complex. Currently, the parcel serves as overflow parking for both RJS and NYY
complexes and is owned by the county. The site is currently grass covered with the only
remnants of Tampa Stadium being an outline of the stadiums foundation. As each
parameter was successfully scored, the TS site received the full 25 points possible which
can be seen in Table 9.

71
Westshore Area Site (WA)
The county owned parcel located directly to the South of Tampa International
Airport, is roughly 36.5 acres in size and can accommodate the baseline stadium and any
event support sites required with ease. The site is currently unoccupied and is available
for development. The largest drawback to this location is its proximity to an active
runway at Tampa International. While this can be circumvented with customized
architecture and site planning, it is a potential negating factor for this site. The site
receives the full 25 points based on the scored parameters of this variable.

Channelside/Downtown Site (CD)
The CD site is located to the North of Amalie Arena and is a collection of city-
owned vacant parcels totaling 9.34 acres in size. In its current configuration, the site does
not meet the requirement of the baseline stadium size and would require the purchasing
of privately owned sites within the area. As such, the site received a final score of 17 out
of 25 points.

4.3.4 Non-Targeted Site Analysis (100 Points Max)
Once the site study was completed on the Non-Targeted Sites, scores were issued to each
of the three sites. As predicted, the site scores were among the highest of all sites
Table 9 Non-Targeted Sites Parcel Scoring Results

72
analyzed. The site with the highest score was the Tampa Stadium site with a final score
of 94 out of a possible 100 points. The Westshore Area site scored came in right behind
the Tampa Stadium site with 90 points out of 100. Finally, the Channelside/Downtown
site scored 87 out of 100. The final score breakdown can be seen in Table 10.
Table 10 Non-Targeted Sites Total Score

73

Figure 10 Tampa Stadium Parcel Site

74
CHAPTER 5: DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
The main goal of this research was to identify where throughout the Tampa Bay area
would be the best location to construct a single-use stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays by
analyzing traffic, population, and critical infrastructure. Beyond the goal of establishing
where a stadium should go, an anticipated by-product of the research is the creation of a
standardized and repeatable scoring method for any future stadium location assessments.
While the goals were ambitious, this research provided insight into the process of stadium
site selection and made an emphasis on the scientific elements that should be included
during any future site selections.

5.1 Key Observations
As was expected, the results of the research indicate that a stadium placed within the city
of Tampa—and close to the Tampa CBD—would attract more of the regions population
and allow easier access to and from the stadium than its current location in downtown St.
Petersburg. The research also validates the anecdotal claims that have been made by fans
and local media: the stadium, in its current location, is too far to travel to. To this point,
the location with the second-worst population percentage within a 30-minute commute is
Tropicana Field with only 50.5 percent living within the ideal driving distance.
The analysis of the Targeted sites identified the New York Yankees Spring
Training Complex and the Channelside Plaza sites as being the best for the new stadium
by achieving overall scores of 88 and 85 out of a possible 100. The process also
identified three Non-Targeted Sites—or sites that were not initially identified by any
databases or documentation—whose scores were higher than the analyzed Targeted Sites.

75
The three sites identified—Tampa Stadium, Westshore, and Channelside—scored 94, 90,
and 87 respectively out of a possible 100 points. These scores verify the initial
hypothesis that the stadiums location would be better suited and would better serve the
Tampa Bay community if it were moved closer to the population center.
Ultimately, the goal of relocating a team to a different site within the same
community should be founded on increasing fan attendance and increasing revenue. As
such, any correlation between the final site scores achieved through the scoring system
and attendance should be emphasized to add legitimacy to the Stadium Site Scoring
System as a whole. In order to determine if any correlation between site score and
attendance exists, an analysis was completed of the three existing professional stadium
sites within the Tampa Bay area and was compared to attendance records since 2008 for
all three sites. Interestingly, when the resultant data was scrutinized, a correlation
emerged. The Raymond James Stadium site, the Amalie Arena Site, and the Tropicana
Field site scored 94, 85, and 50.5 respectively. The average attendance between 2008
and 2014 was noted to be 88.8, 91.5, and 53.8 percent respectively. The most glaring of
those figures is the score and average attendance for Tropicana Field. This similarity acts
as a conceivable verifier that the variables and parameters used to analyze the potential
and existing sites could be the key to successful stadium site placement.

5.2 Future Research
The research proved to be successful in identifying the ideal locations throughout the
region where a stadium should be placed for optimal results. While the results were
capable of identifying optimal site locations by analyzing driving distances/drive time

76
correlated to population percentages, further research could enhance the results and
ensure that the site selected will indeed serve as the best location for the population of the
Tampa Bay area and the Tampa Bay Rays organization.

5.2.1 Traffic Flow Analysis
The research hinged on determining drive time distances throughout the region and
surrounding each site. To obtain this information, speed limit data was used for all the
roads throughout the Tampa Bay area. This produced drive times and distances that are
based within a sterile environment with no traffic impedances of any sort. Essentially,
the conditions in which the traffic study was completed do not reflect those that occur in
real life and do not take into account congestion or delays that can occur on a daily basis.
While it may be impossible to accurately portray the impacts of traffic throughout the
region due to the variability of traffic flow, it may be possible for a long-term study to
determine average speed versus posted speed and further refine the driving
distance/travel time variable.
Another component to the traffic portion of this research that is likely to benefit
from further research is that of traffic patterns on days of events. Identifying where
throughout the region are ‘choke points’ and where on the traffic network are the areas
that will likely incur the most congestion on days of events could prove beneficial to
further expansion of the road networks and better understanding of what can be done to
mitigate congestion as much as possible. There is no way to completely eradicate
congestion from the event process—as there will always be an influx of population on

77
event days—but by including event traffic patterns into any future study could prove to
be beneficial for many outlets beyond stadium planning.

5.2.2 Population Analysis
Another area that could benefit from further research is the population data of the region.
The data, which was obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau, contains population data
based on block levels and establishes the data based on results from the census surveys.
Unfortunately, there is nothing within the data that identifies what is located within the
census block, such as jails, half-way houses, assisted care facilities, etc. While it is
possible to identify the type of facility using various methods, including identifying those
sites with zero homes but a high number of residents or by using parcel data,
understanding the likelihood of those ‘residents’ to travel to and from an event is not well
comprehended. Any future studies of this nature should attempt to identify which those
population pockets are those that could attend events if they desired to, and which are
unlikely to attend under any circumstances.
Similarly, an analysis should be completed to determine which team, if any, the
population roots for within the region. The Tampa Bay area is known for being a
transplant community and, accordingly, portions of the population root for their original
hometown teams. By doing such an analysis, it will provide further understanding of the
population of the region and can assist in determining if a specific area has a vested
interest in attending Rays games first hand. One method that can be used to identify the
population allegiances is Twitter. In the recent weeks, hash-tag data has been aggregated
to determine where the fan-base for each NFL franchise resides. The data was displayed

78
on the county level and may require a bit of further research to determine if a block level
analysis could be completed.

5.2.3 Travel Time Analysis
Lastly, another portion of this project that could use further research is the determination
of how much time is acceptable to commute to the new site. The time component is one
that is considered to be at the forefront of why the population does not attend events
regularly, so as a result of this, the time component needs to be specific enough to
establish a service area that meets the requirements desired by the population. For the
purposes of this project and because of the makeup of the region, the 30-, 45-, and 60-
minute service areas were selected. Further research into this portion of the assessment
could identify more exact times that patrons are willing to travel in order to come to an
event. On this same note, an assessment into where the fans are coming from to attend
events would also help identify where the service area should be focused and how far the
search for a new site should extend to.

5.3 Conclusion
At the inception of this research, the idea was simply to find a new site for the Tampa
Bay Rays and to settle the on-going argument of which site would be better: Tampa or St.
Petersburg. While this is the foundation of this project, the included research has
established that there is a scientific process that can be undertaken to identify where a
stadium would fulfill the needs of both the franchise and a community.

79
The bottom line to this research is this: there is a problem with the Tampa Bay
Rays current facility and its location. The research has demonstrated that the site is in a
location that is not favorable to attracting the most amounts of people within the shortest
amount of time within the Tampa Bay area as evidence by the 50.5 score Tropicana Field
obtained through the scoring system. While the stadium itself is not in an ideal location
to attract patrons, the surrounding area is replete with supporting infrastructure for the
site. With this in mind, moving the stadium will require a monumental investment to
ensure that the surrounding area is ready to support the stadium and the influx of patrons.
The locations identified in this research are areas that would require the least amount of
investment and would impact the community in a favorable way. The opportunity is
there for the Tampa Bay area to have a successful team, in a successful location, and with
the community’s support. If located, constructed, and supported thoughtfully, the
resulting stadium site could be at the forefront of facility location and design for the
foreseeable future.

80
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Asset Metadata

Creator Martinez, Carlos Osiris (author)

Core Title Relocation bay: identifying a suitable site for the Tampa Bay Rays

School College of Letters, Arts and Sciences

Degree Master of Science

Degree Program Geographic Information Science and Technology

Publication Date 02/10/2015

Defense Date 01/15/2015

Publisher University of Southern California (original), University of Southern California. Libraries (digital)

Tag Amalie Arena,Baseball,Buccaneers,central business district,Channelside,Channelside Plaza,Derby Lane,Devil Rays,Downtown,drive time,FL,Florida,Florida State Fair Grounds,lightning,network analysis,non-targeted site,OAI-PMH Harvest,parcel analysis,professional stadiums,Raymond James Stadium,Rays,relocation,service area,site suitability,site suitability scoring system,spatial analysis,St Petersburg,Stadium,stadium location,Stadiums,Tampa,Tampa Bay,Tampa Bay Rays,Tampa Stadium,targeted site,Traffic,traffic analysis,Tropicana Field,Westshore

Format application/pdf (imt)

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Advisor Warshawsky, Daniel N. (committee chair), Oda, Katsuhiko (Kirk) (committee member), Ruddell, Darren M. (committee member)

Creator Email carlosom@usc.edu,Martinez.Carlos@me.com

Permanent Link (DOI) https://doi.org/10.25549/usctheses-c3-531179

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