SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet agreed Tuesday to include 22 acres at Hillsborough College in a future stadium deal aimed at keeping the Tampa Bay Rays in the state.
The plan calls for a mixed-use development modeled after the Battery Area in Atlanta, featuring new classrooms alongside shops and restaurants.
State Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, a member of the Cabinet, said the overall deal would benefit the college and keep baseball in the Tampa Bay region.
Rays unveil plans for new stadium on Hillsborough College campus
“We should do everything that we possibly can to keep the Rays in the state of Florida,” Ingoglia said. “Tampa is as good a part of the state as any. I just want to make sure that we’re watching out for the taxpayers as we do it.”
The Rays ownership group is seeking a public-private partnership. Any final deal would also require support from the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.
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