Part 2/7:
For more than two decades, the Tropicana Field has been the Rays' home, earning a reputation as one of the least aesthetically pleasing venues in Major League Baseball. Critics have not only pointed out the stadium’s design but have also lamented its inconvenient location in St. Petersburg, disconnected from the heart of the Tampa Bay area. While plans to construct a new stadium at the same site promised to enliven the fan experience and address attendance woes with surrounding developments—like restaurants and hotels—questions remained about whether simply building a new park in the same place would fundamentally change the team's attendance crisis.