The Tampa City Council voted 4-3 on Aug. 27, 2026, to approve an agreement for the Tampa Bay Rays’ proposed $2.36 billion ballpark. The project would anchor a mixed-use development on Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus. The agreement now moves to a scheduled Hillsborough County Commission vote Friday morning.
If the county commission approves the deal, the Tampa Bay Rays would begin the bond and funding validation process before construction starts. The preliminary schedule calls for mobilization and site preparation to begin the following Tuesday. Substantial completion is targeted for the end of 2028, with final completion scheduled for March 31, 2029.
City vote changes project funding
Alan Clendenin, Naya Young, Luis Viera and Bill Carlson voted in favor of the proposal. Lynn Hurtak, Guido Maniscalco and Charlie Miranda voted against it. The city’s contribution was reduced to $80 million after a privately financed Community Development District replaced Tampa’s $100 million Community Redevelopment Agency contribution.
The Tampa Bay Rays are set to invest approximately $1.37 billion, plus all cost overruns, while Hillsborough County would cover $796 million. Carlson said during Thursday’s meeting, “I didn’t change my mind. The deal changed.” He added, “The only thing that changed is I’m representing the people of this city, and I want to get what’s in the best interest of the city.”
“This deal is not perfect,” Young said. “But what I do see is opportunity.” Clendenin said, “This agreement deserves our support. I’m supporting it because I believe it is in Tampa’s best long-term interest. It is not merely a vote on a baseball stadium.” He added, “It is a vote on whether Tampa is prepared to compete for investments, jobs, housing, education and opportunity, or whether we’re willing to let those opportunities go elsewhere.”
Agreement sets stadium ownership and timeline
Hillsborough County would own the stadium, and the Tampa Bay Rays would pay $4 million annually in rent. The initial term of the use agreement is 35 years. The Rays’ use agreement at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg expires after the 2028 season.
“Today’s affirmative vote by the Tampa City Council is incredible news for the entire Tampa Bay community,” Rays chief executive officer Ken Babby said. “We look forward to tomorrow’s Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners meeting and the opportunity to continue advancing a project that will deliver lasting benefits to the Tampa Bay region.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor also issued a statement supporting the project. “I want to thank our City Council members who voted today to move this transformational project forward,” Castor said. If the county commission also approves the agreement, the Rays can proceed toward construction of the proposed Tampa ballpark.
Source: Original report