TAMPA, Fla. — Hillsborough County officials say they will likely not meet the Tampa Bay Rays’ deadline of approving a stadium deal.

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The Rays had given both the county and the city of Tampa an ultimatum to approve funding by June 1.

The comments come from a preliminary feedback memo released by the county attorney’s office.

The county’s memo states discussions would likely take at least another 60 to 90 days to work out the specifics after reaching a preliminary deal.

“Once the parties reach an agreement on the MOU, certain project agreements could be prioritized over others to help move the project forward. It would likely take at least 60-90 days to negotiate the Development and Funding Agreement (and possibly the Use Agreement) following the approval of the MOU,” the county’s memo states.

It is unclear if the Rays and the county will be able to solve this timeline dispute.

The Tampa Bay Rays have released this statement on the situation:

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.

View the full Hillsborough County memo to the Rays below:

 

The Rays’ proposal released earlier this month calls for the Rays to fund 50% of the project, including any cost overruns. The city of Tampa would contribute $251 million, while Hillsborough County would contribute $750 million.

Ahead of a public workshop earlier this month, Rays CEO Ken Babby sent a letter to commissioners reiterating that the deadline is imperative to keep the deal economically feasible and to meet the 2029 opening day timeline.

“Should this commitment ultimately not be achievable, we would have no choice but to evaluate alternatives; however, that is not our desired outcome. Time and action are of the essence,” Babby wrote in his letter to commissioners.

Some commissioners remain hesitant to sign off on a new ballpark just yet.

“From my perspective, I’d love to be able to vote yes on this,” Commissioner Harry Cohen said at a workshop last week. “But to vote yes, I have to be convinced this is the right thing for the community and for the taxpayers.”