TAMPA, Fla. (AP) \u2014 City officials on Thursday approved a $2.3 billion deal for a new\u00a0Tampa Bay Rays ballpark\u00a0funded by public and private money.<\/p>\n
The 4-3 vote by the Tampa City Council came three months after a tentative agreement was reached for a stadium, which would include $967 million in tax money.<\/p>\n
Rays Chief Executive Officer Ken Babby said in a statement that the stadium project will \u201cdeliver lasting benefits\u201d for the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Tampa Bay Rays are grateful for the leadership and support of the City Council members to approve an investment that, when accompanied by the private funding guaranteed by the Rays, will secure the future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay while creating a landmark destination neighborhood that will serve our region for generations,\u201d Babby said Thursday.<\/p>\n
Hillsborough County Commissioners will vote on the project Friday morning.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Rays ownership reached an agreement\u00a0earlier this year with Hillsborough College to build the stadium and mixed-use entertainment district on the campus and to renovate some of the school\u2019s buildings. The property is located next to the New York Yankees\u2019 spring training facility and across a highway from Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.<\/p>\n
The Rays have said they hope to have the new stadium built within three years.<\/p>\n
Since the team took the field in 1998, the Rays have played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, except for moving home games to the Yankees\u2019 George M. Steinbrenner Field in 2025 following\u00a0hurricane damage at the Trop. The Rays\u2019 lease runs through at least the 2028 season. The team\u00a0returned to the Trop\u00a0last month for the start of this season.<\/p>\n
A proposed $1.3 billion redevelopment deal for a new ballpark adjacent to the Trop\u00a0fell through last year, raising new questions about the future of the team, which was\u00a0bought last September\u00a0by Patrick Zalupski\u2019s ownership group.<\/p>\n
Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.<\/p>\n
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