ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch is considering demolishing Al Lang Stadium and replacing it with an outdoor amphitheater designed to revamp the downtown waterfront.

City Council members on Thursday were shown renderings of the concept. Plans would include the amphitheater, a new building for The Florida Orchestra and a 400-car parking garage.

It would also better connect the nearby Mahaffey Museum and the Dali Museum.

Al Lang Stadium is nearly 80 years old and is currently home to soccer's Tampa Bay Rowdies. It seats about 7,000 fans and was long used as a spring training baseball stadium, including by the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Rowdies are also owned by the Tampa Bay Rays, who recently walked away from a deal to build a new stadium and redevelop the historic Gas Plant District.

If the stadium were to be demolished, it would take place after 2028.

View the proposal that was viewed Thursday by council members. (Scroll to page 11.)