Tax collector’s office wants to be part of Rays talks

TAMPA, Fla. — A new ballpark and revamped Hillsborough College facilities are just some of what could be coming to Tampa if the Rays get the okay to build their new permanent home there, but the county tax collector is raising concerns about what could become of her office’s busiest location if that plan moves forward.

“Let me be clear from the outset: I am a proud supporter of the Rays, and I want to see Tampa Bay thrive,” Hillsborough County Tax Collector Nancy Millan wrote in an April 10 letter to the Tampa City Council. “However, as the elected Tax Collector for Hillsborough County’s 1.6 million residents, I have a constitutional responsibility to ensure that the taxpayers and communities we serve are not adversely impacted in this process. I have concerns that require the Council’s attention before any decisions are finalized.”

Millan wrote that at issue is her office’s Drew Park Service Center. Chief Deputy Tax Collector Jennifer Castro said that 900 people walk through its doors every day to get driver’s licenses, ID cards, vehicle registrations, and more.

“It’s definitely our busiest location,” said Castro, noting the center served 218,000 customers in fiscal year 2025. 

Castro said its popularity is due to the Drew Park office’s centralized location at the corner of W. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and N. Lois Ave. She said its 55 team members help customers who come in from South Tampa, Westshore, West Tampa, Town N’ Country, and more. In her letters to council and Hillsborough commissioners, Millan said it’s the only access point to tax collector services for residents who depend on public transit.

“Because of where it’s located in the middle of the city of Tampa, in Drew Park, we are kind of right in the center,” said Castro. “So, anybody can access our services, no matter how you get to us.”

It also sits in the footprint of the Tampa Bay Rays’ proposed development. The Drew Park office is in the northwest corner of what a graphic on the Rays’ website and presented during public presentations refers to as “The Canopy” – “a parkside neighborhood shaped by shade, greenery, belonging, and the rhythms of everyday life.”

Castro said the tax collector’s office hasn’t been given details on what, exactly, is planned for their site.

“If we were to lose this office and not have a plan or an alternate location where we could replace the services, it would really be a service disruption for a whole lot of people,” she said. 

Castro said the 25,000 sq. ft. office was built for $4 million about ten years ago on five acres of land leased from the state. She said the cost of a similar facility today is estimated at $15 million-$25 million. Millan’s letter to lawmakers asks who would be responsible for the cost of relocation and what would be the financial impact on taxpayers. Funding might not be the only challenge.

“Where are you going to find that kind of property in the city of Tampa? I’ll tell you where, nowhere,” said Tampa City Councilman Charlie Miranda.

Miranda brought up the question of the office’s future at a city council workshop on the proposal last week.

“The tax collector’s office on the corner of MLK and Lois has not been brought up, and we’ve got to know what’s going to happen,” Miranda told Rays CEO Ken Babby and HC President Dr. Ken Atwater. 

Other concerns Miranda raised at the meeting touched on attendance at Rays games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa in 2025 compared to that at Tropicana Field in 2024, as well as what other city needs potential funding for a new stadium could go toward. But when it comes to the Drew Park office, Miranda said he’d like to see it stay in its current location.

“That’s a public building,” he said. “It was built for public purposes. If I remember, that location is a prime location in Hillsborough County, and I’ll tell you why – it’s helping over 900 people a day, doing the activity that it was meant to be.”

Castro said staying put is also the preference of the tax collector’s office. She said the Drew Park center could actually benefit the new development by drawing people in who are seeking services who might then venture over to explore new businesses.

“If that is not in the cards, we want to know when things are going to happen, how we’re going to be impacted, and what’s the game plan, and ensure that we are part of negotiations,” said Castro. 

On that front, she said there has been progress. Castro represented the tax collector’s office as a stakeholder at the city council workshop, and she said the office was also included in a recent county workshop.

“We’re big sports fans at the tax collector’s office,” she said. “So, we’re not opposed to the Rays coming to Tampa. We just want to ensure that our office is protected.”

Spectrum News reached out to the Tampa Bay Rays for comment but didn’t hear back. Babby told our partners at the Tampa Bay Times last month that the team is committed to working collaboratively with the tax collector’s office to address concerns.