The Tampa Bay Rays are inching closer toward having a new home.
Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approved plans for a new stadium at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus on Friday in a 5-2 vote. That decision came one day after Tampa’s city council voted 4-3 in favor of the stadium.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who invested their time, energy, ideas and trust in getting us to this moment,” Patrick Zalupski, Tampa Bay Rays Managing Partner and Co-Chair, said in a statement. “We recognize there is still important work ahead, and we look forward to continued collaboration to deliver on the promise of this transformational project.
“Today is an incredible day for Tampa Bay. Thank you to everyone who helped make it possible. Forever starts now.”
While the project starts “now,” construction must begin this fall if the ballpark is to open before the 2029 season. The Rays, who have called Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg their permanent home since 1998, have a use agreement that expires at the conclusion of the 2028 season.
The new stadium, owned by Hillsborough County, is projected to cost approximately $2.36 billion. The city agreed to provide $80 million, while the county agreed to $796 million, with the Rays responsible for approximately $1.37 billion plus all cost overruns. The Rays will pay $4 million annually in rent.
“The Tampa Bay Rays enthusiastically thank and applaud the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners for making history,” Rays CEO Ken Babby said in a statement.
“By virtue of its approval of a county investment in partnership with the Rays and the city of Tampa, today our entire region can celebrate the coming of a privately financed and mixed-use neighborhood, a reinvented Hillsborough College campus, and a new ballpark that secures the long-term future of Major League Baseball here in Tampa Bay.”
The NFL’s Buccaneers welcomed the news. The Bucs play at Raymond James Stadium, across Dale Mabry Highway from the ballpark site.
“Congratulations to our friends at the Tampa Bay Rays, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County on today’s exciting news,” the Buccaneers said in a statement. “The stadium agreement represents an important milestone for our region and a promising future for Team Tampa Bay.”
The Rays have an initial term of 35 years, including a non-relocation agreement, to use the stadium, which has a minimum of 28,000 seats and a fixed roof.
“This is a great day for Tampa Bay Rays fans, the entire Tampa Bay region and Major League Baseball,” Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred told the Tampa Bay Times. “I want to thank the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, the Tampa City Council and everyone who worked tirelessly to develop a plan that reflects the interests and priorities of the community while securing a state-of-the-art ballpark and a strong, long-term future for the Rays in Tampa Bay.”
