The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approved the Tampa Bay Rays’ proposed Forever Home ballpark agreement Friday by a 5-2 vote, giving the baseball organization approval from both Tampa and Hillsborough County.
The Tampa City Council approved the agreement 4-3 on Thursday. The Rays can now proceed with the community benefits agreement process and begin bond and funding validation, although the community benefits agreement must be completed before bond validation and bond validation must occur before major demolition and construction.
Proposed ballpark targets 2029 opening
The proposed fixed-roof ballpark would be built on the site of Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus in Tampa. The development would be located along Dale Mabry Highway, across from Raymond James Stadium and adjacent to George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The stadium is planned to have a minimum of 28,000 seats. The Rays are planning for a groundbreaking ceremony, and if the project proceeds as planned, the ballpark would host Opening Day in 2029.
The Rays’ use agreement at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg is set to expire after the 2028 season. The proposed use agreement has an initial term of 35 years and includes a non-relocation agreement.
County, city and Rays outline funding
Hillsborough County would own the ballpark, while the Rays would pay $4 million annually in rent. The county would cover $796 million of the projected $2.36 billion ballpark cost, including approximately $360 million from its Community Investment Tax and approximately $303 million from Tourist Development Tax money.
The city of Tampa would contribute $80 million. The Rays are set to invest approximately $1.37 billion, cover all cost overruns and privately finance the surrounding mixed-use district.
The planned development would include a revamped and modernized Hillsborough College campus. In the meantime, Hillsborough College will temporarily operate an on-site campus called The Nest.
Additional work remains before construction
Patrick Zalupski, managing partner of the Tampa Bay Rays’ ownership group, said the organization remains focused on the work ahead. “We are incredibly grateful to everyone who invested their time, energy, ideas and trust in getting us to this moment,” Zalupski 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.”
Rays Chief Executive Officer Ken Babby said the organization had prepared for the possibility of approval. “There’s already been a lot of work going on behind the scenes to prepare for a moment when the county and city said yes,” Babby said Friday afternoon at Tropicana Field. “Even this afternoon, spent most of the day hitting ‘Go’ on a lot of major decisions, which we’ll be able to talk about over the next few weeks and months. But it’s all systems go for the Tampa Bay Rays in Tampa, and excited about the road ahead.”
Populous has nearly completed the ballpark’s schematic design, according to Babby. The project must move through the community benefits agreement and bond validation processes before major demolition and construction can begin.
Ken Hagan, Harry Cohen, Gwen Myers, Christine Miller and Chris Boles voted in favor of the proposal. Donna Cameron Cepeda and Joshua Wostal voted against the deal.
Source: Original report