Will the Rays say goodbye to St. Pete?

TAMPA — Tampa Bay Rays owner Stuart Sternberg on Friday endorsed a plan to locate a new stadium for the Major League Baseball team in Tampa's Ybor City.

The Rays have been struggling for years with attendance at their current home, Tropicana Field in downtown St. Petersburg, prompting a group of community and business leaders to form a group called Tampa Bay Rays 2020 with the goal of keeping the team in the Tampa Bay region.

“This is all about the future,” states Ron Christaldi, co-founder of Tampa Bay Rays 2020, in a press release. “Bringing the Rays to Tampa will transform our region and serve as an economic engine for decades to come.”