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With stadium deal in place, Tampa Bay Rays secure a future in St. Pete

While approvals are still needed, the deal for a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium means the team can play of for a generation or more without an eye on the door.

By Jim Stinson, Louis Llovio
| 5:00 a.m. September 25, 2023
| 0 Free Articles Remaining!

A rendering of how the Hines/Rays teams would redevelop the 86-acre Tropicana Field site in downtown St. Petersburg.

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

Bottom line

Key takeaway: After years of uncertainty, the Tampa Rays, the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County have reached a deal that will keep the team in the city for at least the next 30 years and restores a historic district razed to build the current ballpark.

Core challenge: While the deal has been announced, local government bodies and the public have yet to see the details and, given the contentious issue of using government money to subsidize a sports team, it would not be surprising to see significant push back from activists and some politicians.

What’s next: Team, city and county leaders will present the details of the deal to elected officials later this year and a vote — or votes — on the details are expected to happen next spring. If all goes well, construction will begin in late 2024.

The Tampa Bay Rays officially recently unveiled plans for a new $1.3 billion stadium that will be built with about $600 million in funds from the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County and at least that much from the team.

The plan, crafted to keep the Rays in the city for at least the next 34 years, ends a more than 15-year effort to find a permanent home for the team. It calls for a 30,000-seat, domed stadium to be built near where Tropicana Field stands today.