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Rays 'welcome' you to St. Pete again after 10Investigates points out dilapidated billboard

The Tampa Bay Rays have fixed an eyesore billboard at Tropicana Field.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Following a 10Investigates story on the large billboard outside Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay Rays have repaired the signage that had become both an eyesore and a reminder of their desire to leave the 28-year-old ballpark.

The giant billboard greets drivers with a "St. Petersburg Welcomes You" message as they pass Tropicana Field on the southwest side of downtown. But as 10Investigates reported in March, years of neglect allowed the sign to fall into disrepair.

The video board was failing, numerous lights on the sign were broken, some of the fabric was torn, and some of the panels were detaching. City officials said the sign violated code, as well as the team's contract for maintenance, but despite "numerous" requests in recent years to fix the sign, little had been done.

That changed in June, when the team renovated the sign with new fabric.

The Rays said at the start of the season they have spent more than $20 million on Trop improvements in the 13 years since Stu Sternberg took control of the team. Some of those funds have come from a joint maintenance account shared with the city.

However, there hadn't been much attention paid to the outside of the dome, leading some critics to suggest the Rays have failed to properly invest in the community that they've called home for more than 20 years.

The Rays did not respond to 10Investigates' requests for comment and have not provided a response to any 10Investigates stories since the initial report about the billboard was broadcast in March.

Tuesday Event Planned in Tampa

Next up in the Rays' campaign for a new Tampa stadium -- and the financial help necessary to make it happen -- is a Tuesday press conference to unveil the team's design renderings for a proposed Ybor City stadium.

It is unclear how specific the team will get when it comes to the financials, but indications are they expect public and private investment in the range of $600+ million. It is also unclear where that money would come from since the city of Tampa has little available revenue and most county commissioners have been hesitant to prioritize a new stadium over other pressing public needs.

Find 10Investigates' Noah Pransky on Facebook or follow his updates on Twitter. Send your story tips confidentially to npransky@wtsp.com.

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