TAMPA, Fla. — Tampa City Council is set to hold a special meeting to vote on a Binding Community Benefits Agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays, a key requirement for the team’s proposed stadium deal to move forward.

The timing of the vote could be critical.

City Councilman Luis Viera has supported the new Rays stadium, but he is leaving the council effective Nov. 2 to run for a Florida State House seat. Without his vote, the council could be deadlocked, with three members in favor and three opposed.

The Binding Community Benefits and Legacy Plan would require the Rays to provide $60 million in funding to the city and county over the next 35 years.

Of that total, $21 million would go to the City of Tampa, including $4.2 million in the first five years.

The city’s share of the funding is expected to support several priorities, including:

Affordable housing in the area surrounding the proposed stadium, including Drew Park and the area near the Yankees’ spring training facility
Workforce development opportunities
Participation by minority- and women-owned businesses
Infrastructure upgrades, including roads and transportation
Youth and community programs focused on sports, education, veterans services and family ticket access

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said this week she hopes some of the early funding is used for parks, sports programs and recreation facilities.

“Look at the baseball history we have here in Tampa,” Castor said. “So getting young people involved in sports and in athletics. So I’m personally interested about a lot of that funding that’s gonna be focused on parks and recreation and creating the future here in Tampa.”

Hillsborough County would also receive funding through the agreement, totaling $39 million over the life of the deal. The county would receive $7.8 million in the first five years.

City leaders say the first priority for the funding would be any additional money needed to finalize roads and infrastructure connected to the stadium, though most of those costs have already been included in the broader construction plan.

Ultimately, Tampa City Council would decide how the city’s portion of the money is spent. An advisory panel would oversee the process and provide regular reports on where the money is being used and why.