Second referendum proposed for Al Lang Field site

By: Dave Balut

St. Petersburg, Florida – The newest City Council member is a big Rays fan who will vote to put the waterfront ballpark referendum on the ballot in November.

But Karl Nurse is against a new stadium on the site of Al Lang Field.

"I think there are a whole series of problems with putting it on the waterfront, maybe the most important thing is [if] downtown really works," said Nurse.

So, Nurse is proposing a second referendum, limiting development on the Al Lang site to nothing larger than what is already there.

"At the end of this conversation, this conversation if clear and it's finished and we don't come back a second round, which many cities have come back a second and third round for these kinds of conversations," said Nurse.

Nurse got the idea for a second referendum from former city council member Virginia Littrell, who's working with the group opposing the waterfront ballpark.

But Littrell says her referendum idea is separate from Preserve Our Wallets and Waterfront, or POWW.

"If the stadium issue gets voted down, y'know, there still remains the question of what do you want on this site and I think the questions are legitimately separate," said Littrell.

But before Nurse's referendum about Al Lang Field can be put to the voters he first has to convince other council members.

"And I don't know if I'm that in disagreement with it," said City Council Chairman James Bennett.

Bennett wants to know if both questions could be combined into one referendum but says he would not be surprised if both referendums make it to the voters.

Competing referendums were on the ballot in the Albert Whitted Airport vote a few years ago.

"You had those that wanted it to be a park and those that wanted it to remain an airport, so this is not unheard of," said Bennett.

And Bennett says if both referendums for Al Lang Field pass, the one with the most votes wins.

St. Petersburg City Council members will discuss both referendums Thursday morning.

If Council members proceed with the Rays stadium proposal, a final vote is expected in August to put the issue on the ballot in November.