Naming rights for iconic landmark could be up for grabs

Naming rights can be a tricky topic to navigate for many brands and businesses. On one hand, you have classy examples like Raymond James Stadium, a.k.a. “RayJay,” the longtime home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On the other, you have cringe-worthy naming-rights scenarios, like the Bad Boy Mowers Gasparilla Bowl —Tropicana Field’s college football bowl game that has undergone a dizzying procession of previous sponsors ranging from MagicJack and Beef O’Brady’s to BitCoin.

The city of St. Petersburg appears to be OK with the risks associated with naming-rights deals. In a March 15 meeting, the city council approved a deal that will see the parking garage at the Mahaffey Theater christened the Crown Cars Parking Garage. According to its agreement with Big 3 Entertainment, the company that manages the theater, St. Pete-based Crown Automotive Management will pay a total of $365,000, plus a $40,000 signage fee, over the course of the five-year deal.