In a preliminary vote on Thursday, the St. Petersburg City Council voted to move forward with a state-of-the-art Tampa Bay Rays stadium in the city's Historic Gas Plant District. It's just the first of several votes needed for the $1.3 billion project to be approved. In addition to another city council vote on July 11, any agreements about the stadium will also need approval from Pinellas County and Major League Baseball. Still, this vote is a good indication of where St. Pete city council members stand on the project. Ultimately, it will take five of the eight council members to greenlight it. Supporters of the new ballpark, including St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch, argue it will be a major economic driver for the region, bringing in tens of thousands of jobs both during construction and when it's done. However, others, like Councilmember Richie Floyd, have expressed concerns that a baseball stadium isn't necessary to redevelop the Gas Plant District, especially given the public cost. Floyd’s concerns were echoed by a group of residents who have called for a better deal that benefits the taxpayers. Welch previously dismissed those saying the majority of constituents are in favor of keeping the Rays in St. Pete. As far as cost goes, the stadium’s price tag of $1.3 billion includes $287 million from the city that, with interest over the length of the deal, could add up to nearly $500 million. Pinellas County would be on the hook for about $300 million, paid for through the local bed tax. MORE: https://www.wtsp.com/article/sports/mlb/rays/rays-stadium-vote-st-pete/67-7d844876-a3a4-4769-876e-ec83a98d9ecb ►Subscribe: https://on.wtsp.com/youtube ►Website: https://www.wtsp.com/ ►Facebook: https://facebook.com/10TampaBay ►X: https://twitter.com/10TampaBay