After delays, Pinellas County backs funding for a new ballpark to keep the Tampa Bay Rays in St. Petersburg for 30 more years
St. Petersburg: So, after a bit of a wait, the Pinellas County Commission finally gave the green light for financing a new $1.3 billion ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays. This is all part of a plan to keep the team in St. Pete for another 30 years.
The whole deal, which has the catchy slogan “Here To Stay,” got the thumbs up from both the county and city officials earlier this summer. But when it came to the funding votes, things got a bit tricky and took longer than expected.
Just recently, the St. Petersburg City Council also approved its share of the necessary bonds for the new 30,000-seat stadium. The county’s vote was 5-2 in favor of bonds funded by tourist taxes, which can’t be used for hurricane recovery or other expenses.
Under this agreement, the city and county will cover about half the costs, while the Rays will take care of the rest, including any extra expenses that pop up.
City Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders made it clear that they’re sticking to their word. She said, “We’re doing it. Now what you got?”
The county’s part of the bond financing is around $312.5 million. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred recently met with some of the skeptical county commissioners to emphasize how crucial this project is for keeping a team in the Tampa Bay area.
Commissioner Chris Latvala mentioned that Manfred’s commitment to the market influenced his vote. It’s been a long road with uncertainty about the Rays’ future, including talks of moving to Tampa or even Nashville.
With this stadium deal, the Rays are promising to stay in St. Petersburg for another 30 years. However, they’ll be playing this season in Tampa at the Yankees’ spring training site due to hurricane damage at Tropicana Field.
There’s a bit of a hiccup, though. The Rays expect costs for the new ballpark to rise since the opening has been pushed back from 2028 to 2029. It’s still unclear how much more it’ll cost, but the Rays are on the hook for any overruns.
Matt Silverman, the Rays’ co-president, said they can’t handle the increased costs alone and hinted that more talks are on the horizon. He stated, “When the county and city wish to engage, we remain ready to solve this funding gap together.”
This new stadium is just one part of a larger $6.5 billion revitalization project called the Historic Gas Plant District. This area has a significant history, as it was home to a predominantly Black neighborhood that was displaced for the Trop and an interstate highway.
Supporters believe this development will change an 86-acre area in downtown St. Pete, with plans for a Black history museum, affordable housing, entertainment spots, and more — plus the promise of thousands of jobs.
Pinellas County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters emphasized that this is about more than just a stadium. She said, “It’s about the investment we can make and the return on that investment that can guarantee we can keep our taxes low.”