Top state officials have formally approved the conveyance of land in Hillsborough County to Hillsborough College, adding momentum to a proposal to relocate the Tampa Bay Rays from St. Pete to Tampa.
Gov. Ron DeSantis and members of the Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, voted to convey approximately 22 acres of non-conservation land to Hillsborough College.
The officials said the move serves as a catalyst for a reimagined Dale Mabry campus for Hillsborough College to go along with a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays. The action also authorized modification and release of long-standing deed restrictions tied to the Dale Mabry campus property.
The Cabinet’s action marks a significant milestone in the Rays’ effort to relocate from St. Petersburg to Hillsborough County, though additional local approvals, financing arrangements and Major League Baseball sign-off will still be required before construction can begin. The decision also comes as Hillsborough College seeks $50 million in state appropriations to fund campus redevelopment.
In a statement following the vote, Rays CEO Ken Babby thanked DeSantis and the Cabinet for the approval, calling it “a big moment for Tampa Bay.” He reiterated the team’s goal of opening a new ballpark and integrated “live, work, play, and learn” district by 2029.
“Our momentum is real and growing, thanks to the remarkable spirit of community and statewide partnership that our ownership group has been privileged to experience from the start,” Babby said. “This is undoubtedly a big moment for Tampa Bay, and the Rays are fully in this moment to bring this vision to life, and serve our region for generations to come.”
DeSantis, who has already signaled support for the Rays proposal, told Cabinet members state dollars and conveyances could help Hillsborough College redevelop alongside the proposed ballpark district. He said the area as having “a lot of potential” and said a partnership between the college and the Rays could benefit both the institution and the broader region.
He pointed to nearby sports anchors — including George M. Steinbrenner Field and Raymond James Stadium — and said adding a new Rays ballpark and surrounding development “is going to really change the character of the area for the better.”
“I think this is appropriate, to empower them to be able to negotiate a deal that’s going to allow them to have a reinvigorated and reimagined campus, and also connecting some of their students to all the great things that are going to be happening around them,” DeSantis said.
Attorney General James Uthmeier seconded the motion and said the conveyance would provide a greater public benefit than state ownership, describing the site as “largely just a bunch of parking lots.”
“It’s going to have significant economic benefits to the state; I also think a lot of great opportunities for the students to do internships, apprenticeships, walk right across the street and have job opportunities,” Uthmeier said.
DeSantis doubled down and said the land is not worth much to the state outside of a proposal like the Rays’ ballpark and redevelopment concept.
“Really, in order to make this something that’s special, it really has to be something unique like this,” DeSantis said.