Pinellas County Commission Greenlights Funding for New Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In a move that has been eagerly anticipated by baseball fans and local residents alike, the Pinellas County Commission has finally given the green light to its share of financing for a new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark. This decision, made on Tuesday, is a crucial part of a broader plan to ensure the Rays remain in St. Petersburg for the next 30 years.
The initiative, aptly named “Here To Stay,” was initially approved by both the county commission and the city of St. Petersburg officials earlier this summer. However, the journey to secure funding has been anything but smooth, with votes on the financial aspects of the deal proving to be contentious and subsequently delayed.
Earlier this month, the St. Petersburg City Council took a significant step by voting to approve its share of the bonds necessary to construct the new 30,000-seat ballpark. The county’s vote on Tuesday resulted in a 5-2 decision in favor of bonds that will be funded by tourist or “bed” taxes, which are not allocated for other uses such as hurricane recovery.
Under the terms of the agreement, the city and county are responsible for covering about half of the total cost, while the Rays will shoulder the remaining expenses, including any potential cost overruns. City Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders expressed her commitment to the project, stating, “We’re upholding our part of the bargain. We said we were going to do this. We’re doing it. Now what you got?”
The county’s share of bond financing, approved on Tuesday, amounts to approximately $312.5 million. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred met recently with several skeptical commissioners to emphasize the importance of the project and the league’s desire to keep a team in the Tampa Bay region. Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala noted, “He is committed to this market. Rob Manfred is the reason I am voting yes on this today.”
This proposal marks the culmination of years of uncertainty surrounding the Rays’ future, with discussions of potential relocations to Tampa, Nashville, Tennessee, or even a split home game arrangement between St. Petersburg and Montreal, which Major League Baseball ultimately rejected.
As part of the stadium deal, the Rays have committed to staying in St. Petersburg for another 30 years. However, due to hurricane damage to Tropicana Field, the Rays will play this season in Tampa at the New York Yankees‘ spring training site, Steinbrenner Field.
The Rays have acknowledged that the costs of the new ballpark will inevitably rise due to a delay in its planned opening, now pushed from 2028 to 2029. While the exact amount of these additional costs remains unclear, the agreement stipulates that any cost overruns are the responsibility of the Rays. Matt Silverman, co-president of the Rays, stated after the county vote that the team “cannot absorb this increase alone” and anticipates further negotiations.
“When the county and city wish to engage, we remain ready to solve this funding gap together,” Silverman said.
The proposed stadium is a key component of a larger $6.5 billion revitalization project known as the Historic Gas Plant District. This initiative aims to transform an 86-acre tract in the city’s downtown, which was once a predominantly Black neighborhood displaced by the construction of the Trop and an interstate highway spur.
- Plans for the district include:
- A Black history museum
- Affordable housing
- Entertainment venues
- Office and retail space
- The creation of thousands of jobs
Supporters of the project argue that it represents much more than just a stadium. Pinellas County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters emphasized at a November meeting, “This is much, much bigger than a stadium. It’s about the investment we can make and the return on that investment that can guarantee we can keep our taxes low.”
Originally Written by: ESPN.com
