The Tampa Bay Rays’ celebrated deal with the city of St. Petersburg and the Pinellas County Commission to build a new stadium may face challenges with the recent election of new Pinellas County Commission members.

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, a longtime advocate for relocating the team to Tampa, sees an opportunity if the Pinellas deal collapses.

“As I’ve said before, we will respect the process and not interfere with St. Pete and Pinellas County’s efforts,” Hagan stated. “But if the deal officially falls through, we’ll be ready to have that conversation.”

Hagan believes a move to Tampa could offer long-term benefits for both taxpayers and the team.

“Our model prioritized protecting taxpayers by requiring minimal upfront funding,” he explained. “It relied on economic growth driven by the ballpark and required the team to shoulder more upfront costs and risks.”

However, not everyone supports the idea. Hillsborough Commissioner Joshua Wostal expressed strong opposition, criticizing subsidies for wealthy team owners.

“They’re using economic impact statements to justify taking taxpayer dollars to subsidize billionaires,” said Wostal.

Despite the criticism, Hagan remains optimistic about a Hillsborough County deal if the Pinellas agreement falters.

“We presented a financial structure that would be more beneficial for the team in the long term,” he said.

Hagan also confirmed that land in Ybor City previously identified for a stadium remains available.

“When the Pinellas deal began unraveling, my first call was about the Ybor site. The answer was yes—the land is still an option,” he added.

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Google, & X

(Image credit: architectural firm Populous)