ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — Tampa Bay Rays fans had mixed reactions to Thursday's news from the team that they aren't moving forward with an agreement to build a new stadium.

"Much ado about nothing," said fan Danny Breckenridge.

"I was just like, 'Here's another roadblock,'" said Will, a fan from Tampa.

"I'm completely shocked," said Mark Ferguson.

What You Need To Know

  • The Tampa Bay Rays announced Thursday they were stepping away from a deal to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg

  • Fans at Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill said they were unsure what to make of the news given the back and forth between the team and local governments in recent months

  • Most fans Spectrum News spoke with said they want the team to stay in St. Pete

  • PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Rays owner: 'We cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project'

Ferguson has had as close to a front-row seat as you can get to the back and forth with the Rays. His sports bar, Ferg’s, is a neighbor of Tropicana Field. Ferguson said he expected the team to go through with the deal or that the team would be sold to an owner who would.

“It’s such a good deal with the new stadium and all the real estate in play, and it took so much time to put this together,” said Ferguson. “It’s mind blowing that it’s all blown up right now.”

The uncertainty surrounding the agreement started brewing back in October.

That's when Hurricane Milton blew the roof off the Trop. Then, Pinellas County commissioners delayed a bond vote for their share of the project costs while they dealt with the storm's aftermath. The Rays' leadership said that caused cost overruns they couldn't afford — something St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said he's still never gotten details on.

Ferg's Sports Bar owner Mark Ferguson said he was surprised by the Rays decision. Ferguson said he expected the team to go through with the deal or that the team would be sold to an owner who would. (Spectrum News)

“I’ve seen nothing, not even something written on a napkin, to explain their cost overruns. I’ve seen no evidence of that whatsoever,” Welch told reporters.

Fans told Spectrum News it seems like there’s been a lot of ups and downs, but no real changes.

“If you kept up with every jig and jog on this particular issue, you’d just drive yourself crazy. They don’t have to put everything in the press, honestly. Like, figure it out, and then let’s have some baseball,” said Breckenridge.

The Rays’ announcement was welcome news to at least one Ferg’s patron.

“It’s a win for baseball, and it’s a win for the city of St. Petersburg,” said Ron Diner.

Diner leads the group No Home Run, which was against the stadium plan. He said St. Pete isn't the right fit for a baseball team.

“For the team to be much more successful, both for the owners, for everybody, and for more people to be able to go to the games, it needs to be somewhere near Tampa. That’s the center of the population,” Diner said.

But most fans Spectrum News spoke with said they don’t want to see the Rays go anywhere.

“I want them to stay right here in downtown St. Pete,” said Will. “I mean, I think this is a great area for them.”

Fans said they’re optimistic that could still happen. Welch said Thursday he thought the Hines-Rays deal was what was best for the city. He said he has no interest in working with the team’s current owners, but if the team was sold and new owners could make the deal happen, he said he’d be open to that.