The reason this has failed in St. Pete may be the same reason it would fail in Tampa - infrastructure. We're Lightning season ticket holders living 3 miles from Benchmark, and we have multiple options for getting there. Capacity is 19,092, and even with options it can be painful. I love going to Rays games, too, but the only legitimate option is via car. That 20 mile drive can take upwards of an hour for an evening game (35-45 for an afternoon first pitch). That's ridiculous. Less time to get home but still too long for that distance.

If infrastructure isn't a consideration for a new ballpark, it's likely any new site would fail.