TAMPA, Fla. — This week marks a pivotal moment in the ongoing saga of the Tampa Bay Rays as two crucial votes are set to determine the future of the team’s presence in Tampa.
The focus is on whether the proposed new stadium will move forward, with decisions pending today from both the Hillsborough College Board of Trustees and the Hillsborough County Commission.
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The first vote on the agenda is with the Hillsborough College’s Board of Trustees. They are expected to decide on a lease agreement that would allow the Rays to use part of the Dale Mabry Campus as the site for the new stadium. Given that the state has already approved this use, the vote is anticipated to pass unanimously.
In a statement, Hillsborough College Board of Trustees Chair Greg Celestan expressed optimism: “The Hillsborough College Board of Trustees has approached this next step in its partnership with the Tampa Bay Rays, including a potential ground lease, with careful consideration. We appreciate the progress made to date and remain focused on what this opportunity could mean for our students, our campus, and the broader community.”
The more contentious vote lies with the Hillsborough County Commission, which will decide on a memorandum of understanding (MOU) regarding the funding of the new stadium.
The Rays are seeking $976 million from the county to contribute to the $2.3 billion stadium project. To proceed, the MOU requires at least four out of seven votes from the commissioners.
Commissioner Joshua Wostal has voiced his opposition, stating that the Rays have not provided adequate financial details to justify the $2.3 billion cost. He believes the MOU is a strategic move to pressure officials into agreement without sufficient information.
“First they’ll get the elected officials to agree to a non-binding, and then they’ll come back in and do the emotional heartstrings of, oh well, if you don’t do this, you cost Hillsborough College the state’s money, you cost the area the team, etc. etc. when in reality we don’t have any of the material documents that we need to be making an informed decision about the use of these taxes,” Wostal explained.
Wostal argues that the actual cost of the new stadium is closer to $1.1 billion, and without specific financial disclosures from the Rays, he plans to vote against the proposal.
If the county agrees to the funding, it would involve issuing bonds worth several hundred million dollars, leading to significant interest costs. The source of this funding remains unclear, but more details are expected to emerge before today’s vote.
As the day unfolds, the decisions made by these two bodies will have lasting implications for the Rays, Hillsborough College, and the Tampa community at large.