Florida lawmakers agreed Friday to include $50 million in the state budget for Hillsborough College campus improvements tied to a proposal to build a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays.<\/p>\n
But state Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Ed Hooper said the funding isn\u2019t set until financing agreements are completed between the team and local governments.<\/p>\n
This week, the Hillsborough County Commission and Tampa City Council passed a non-binding memorandum of understanding that allows negotiations to move forward on items not detailed in the MOU.<\/p>\n
ALSO READ: Tampa City Council signs off on Rays stadium framework, moves deal to next stage<\/a><\/p>\n Hooper said the Legislature needs something more concrete.<\/p>\n \u201cLook, that’s not a done deal yet,\u201d Hooper said. \u201cI just believe that until that issue is resolved and signed and sealed, I don’t know that the state should commit $50 million to help Hillsborough College rebuild three buildings that are in dire need of a lot of upgrade and upkeep and renovation.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rays want to build a $2.3 billion indoor stadium on land that is now used by Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus. The team has committed to paying over $1.2 billion and all cost overruns and wants about $976 million combined from the city and county.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Hillsborough commission passes Rays stadium agreement. Tampa City Council votes next<\/a><\/p>\n The city\u2019s vote on the MOU barely passed, 4-3, on Thursday. Councilors expressed concern over the inclusion of $80 million from a half-cent sales tax not intended for stadium construction and $100 million reinvested from future property taxes in an existing Community Redevelopment Area.<\/p>\n The CRA tax base would be boosted by the Rays\u2019 plans to spend more than $8 billion on a surrounding multi-use stadium district that would include a rebuilt college.<\/p>\n The $50 million, included in a Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) for campus improvements, was requested Jan. 19 by Sen. Danny Burgess, R-Zephyrhills, with no mention of the stadium.<\/p>\n ALSO READ: Commissioner Wostal on why taxpayers would be ‘bludgeoned’ by the Rays stadium agreement<\/a><\/p>\n Burgess\u2019 request came a day before the college\u2019s trustees and team agreed to begin negotiations, which resulted in a non-binding ground lease that was approved Wednesday.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is not money that’s going to the Rays,\u201d Hooper said Friday. \u201cThis is for Hillsborough College and a PECO project to build a new building to meet their students’ needs, but I don’t think that will be committed until there is a done deal.\u201d<\/p>\n Hooper first mentioned<\/a> the need for a finalized agreement on May 12. Two days later, the non-binding MOU was unveiled <\/a>to the local boards ahead of this week\u2019s votes.<\/p>\n \u201cWell, it is amazing that then the \u2026 that same week, the memorandum of understanding came about,\u201d Hooper chuckled on Friday.<\/p>\n