SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – The City of Tampa brought the Tampa Bay Rays one step closer to relocating from Tropicana Field to a new stadium and mixed-use district in Hillsborough County.
The 4-3 vote comes a day after the Hillsborough County Commission approved the a nonbinding agreement in a 5-2 vote, outlining a proposed financing plan for the project.
Under the proposal, the total project is estimated to cost about $2.3 billion, with public funding capped at roughly $976 million.
“The Tampa City Council today sent a strong and positive message to our community by approving the nonbinding Memorandum of Understanding and saying ‘yes’ to a Forever Home ballpark and the generational transformation for Tampa Bay that will follow,” the Rays’ CEO, Ken Babby, said in a statement released after Thursday’s vote.
“The Tampa City Council today sent a strong and positive message to our community by approving the nonbinding Memorandum of Understanding and saying ‘yes’ to a Forever Home ballpark and the generational transformation for Tampa Bay that will follow.”
All parties must now finalize binding agreements by a self-imposed June 1 deadline to stay on track to finish the stadium by March 2029, MLB.com is reporting.
Meanwhile, the team will begin another series of public sessions for residents and students to give feedback on the “Champions Quarter” mixed-use district design.
The Hillsborough County Hotel and Lodging association has supported the move to Tampa, saying a new stadium will attract new events, be a driver for more tourism, occupancy, support local jobs and business opportunities.
However, not everyone is on board. Hillsborough County Commissioner Josh Wostal criticized both the structure of the agreement and the pace at which it has moved forward.
“At the end of the day, I like the ‘do no harm’ clause as close as the tactic of a used car salesman, much of how this deal has been crammed down the taxpayers’ throats,” Wostal said.
Still, the MOU’s approval does bring a wide spectrum of opportunities.
“We constantly complain there’s not enough housing and not enough jobs. This is an opportunity to bring at least 12,000 jobs to the community,” said Commissioner Gwen Myers. “This is a good deal.”
The proposed project includes a partnership with Hillsborough College to redevelop its Dale Mabry campus as part of a vibrant mixed-use district anchored by a new stadium.
The Rays say the plan is designed to improve campus facilities, expand workforce development, and create curriculum and internship opportunities for more than 45,000 students, reinforcing the site as a key driver of regional growth.
The agreement lowers the public contribution from the more than $1 billion initially proposed by the Rays.
The Rays have been at odds with the City of St. Petersburg for years over the aging Tropicana Field.
In 2024, Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of the Trop, forcing the Rays to play all 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
The team and the city ultimately could not agree on terms for a new stadium and mixed use development in the Gas Plant District, where Tropicana Field sits.
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