A newly obtained county memo raises legal and financial concerns about the Rays stadium deal, warning the June 1 timeline is likely unrealistic.

TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays hope final project agreements for its proposed new stadium will be completed by June 1.

A new memo shared Thursday shows the county is unlikely to make that happen.

Citing funding risks, unanswered questions, construction and planning gaps, among other questions, county legal staff say negotiating key agreements could take an additional 60 to 90 days.

The team’s leadership said the deadline is critical to have a new stadium ready by 2029, meaning any delays has some supporters of the deal worried it could be jeopardized again. 

Previously, Rays team leaders have blamed Hurricane Milton’s damage to Tropicana Field, loss of revenue, cost overruns and a delayed bond vote at the county level for souring the once sweet partnership. Local leaders don’t view the fallout the same. 

However, some fans and business owners are hoping the deal can still come to fruition. 

“If you look into the next five years or the next ten years, what it’s going to be able to bring to the city, I mean, it’s just really a no-brainer,” said Andres Farfan, owner of Riveters Tampa and Boda, both located along N Dale Mabry Hwy.

Farfan said the new stadium one mile away could be a game changer for not only business, but also the entire city, citing the economic impact, improvements to Hillsborough College and overall quality of life in the area.

“It will be so much revenue coming to this area,” Farfan said.

A number of baseball fans echoed the potential it can bring, citing its location across from Raymond James Stadium. 

Fans like Jason Martinez said he attended dozens of  baseball games that were temporarily being held at Steinbrenner Field compared to just a few at Tropicana Field. 

“It’s just too far sometimes,” Martinez said. “Hopefully, they really can make it happen because that’d be the best thing for Tampa.”

In a statement the Tampa Bay Rays wrote, “We are working diligently on the list of questions provided to us by the county and city and will share our responses with them soon. With the right public-private partnership, we can build a world-class ballpark by 2029 and remain focused on doing so.”