It is November 1997 and you are in the construction zone that is becoming the new Tampa stadium, later to be named Raymond James Stadium.
The tax-supported stadium must be finished by Sept. 20, 1998, or taxpayers face
penalties of $437,500 for each game the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to play in the old Houlihan's Stadium, formerly known as Tampa Stadium, which you can see in the background as you pan around.
The total cost of the stadium for taxpayers: $168.5 million. And that created a huge controversy that raged for months and continued to simmer even after voters approved a referendum authorizing the money.
The new stadium will seat 65,000 vs. 74,000 in the old one. On June 26, 1998, St. Petersburg-based brokerage Raymond James Financial announced it had purchased the naming rights to the new stadium.
For a more recent look, take a look at the panorama taken in June 1998. And check out what it was like to be in the old stadium during a Bucs game.
