TAMPA, Fla. — West Tampa residents want their concerns heard about a potential $2.3 billion baseball stadium in their backyard.

“If you keep investing into the big things, the real people fall through the cracks,” said Jaime Jones, president of the West Tampa Heights Neighborhood Association.

What You Need To Know

Tampa Bay Rays want to build their new $2.3 billion ballpark and mixed-use development in West Tampa, on the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College

The Rays’ owners have committed to paying half the cost and want the public to finance the other half of the project

Some residents in the surrounding neighborhoods have concerns. West Tampa Heights Neighborhood Association President Jaime Jones shared his thoughts with city and county leaders

Tampa City Council Chair Alan Clendenin said for the project to move forward, this will have to be a win for the city, county and Rays leadership

Jones lives just minutes away from Hillsborough College, where the Tampa Bay Rays want to build their new ballpark and mixed-use development. The Rays’ owners have committed to paying half the cost. They want the public to finance the other half of the project. There has been talk about whether excess money from the Community Investment Tax can be used. 

“That money is critical to the improvement of our community,” Jones said. “We don’t have an excess of funds to build sidewalks, fix ditches, pave roads — we don’t have excess of that.”

Jones said he would like to see the Tampa Bay Rays create a stadium district improvement fund.

“It will be great to have the ballpark here if there is almost matching investment coming back to our community,” Jones said. 

Jones said he has shared his idea with city and county leaders, along with the leaders of the Rays. 

Tampa City Council Chair Alan Clendenin said for the project to move forward, this will have to be a win for the city, county and Rays leadership. While there is no agreement, he believes negotiations are about 80% complete.

“Some of that 80% is the easy stuff,” Clendenin said. “That last 20% are the hardest answers to get to.”

He said the goal is to be able to get the details wrapped up before the start of the special session in Tallahassee so that lawmakers can consider transportation and additional funding pieces for Hillsborough College. Clendenin said he is excited about the possibility of a ballpark on the Dale Mabry campus.

“I believe it is a great thing for the city of Tampa to be able to have a major league franchise in the city of Tampa — not only a stadium, but an entire neighborhood built,” Clendenin said.

West Tampa neighbors just want to make sure their voices are heard before it’s a done deal.