On Tuesday evening, Pinellas County commissioners voted 5-2 in favor of funding the new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays Stadium. Despite the approval, questions remain about whether the team will follow through with the deal.

Commissioners Vince Nowicki and Chris Scherer voted against the funding, while Chris Latvala and Dave Eggers, who had previously opposed the bonds, voted in favor.

The overall plan, approved by the county commission and St. Petersburg officials this summer, faced multiple postponements in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Under the agreement, the city and county will cover about half the cost, with the Tampa Bay Rays responsible for the rest, including any cost overruns.

The Rays have stated that due to the delayed votes, they can no longer fund the project alone, pushing the stadium’s completion to 2029. The proposal aimed to address concerns about the Rays’ future, including potential moves to Tampa, Nashville, or a split-city plan with Montreal, which Major League Baseball rejected.

Under the stadium deal, the Rays commit to staying in St. Petersburg for another 30 years. However, they will play this season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa due to hurricane damage to Tropicana Field.

While the city and county have fulfilled their part, it is now up to the Rays to uphold their end of the bargain. If they fail to do so, the deal will automatically terminate in March, and the franchise will not be entitled to any land in St. Petersburg.

Commissioner Latvala changed his vote after speaking with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, calling on Rays owner Stu Sternberg to step down. “While I do not trust the owner of the Rays, I trust Mr. Manfred. He is the reason I am voting yes. MLB is aware of several instances where the Rays organization has intentionally tried to sabotage the very deal that they agreed to,” Latvala stated.

Commissioner Latvala changed his vote after speaking with Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred, calling on Rays owner Stu Sternberg to step down. “While I do not trust the owner of the Rays, I trust Mr. Manfred. He is the reason I am voting yes. MLB is aware of several instances where the Rays organization has intentionally tried to sabotage the very deal that they agreed to,” Latvala stated.

Rays President Matt Silverman released a statement following the decision: “It was unsurprising to see the Commissioners acknowledge how important the Tampa Bay Rays and our stadium development agreement are to this community and its citizens. As we have made clear, the County’s delay has caused the ballpark’s completion to slide into 2029. As a result, the cost of the project has increased significantly, and we cannot absorb this increase alone. When the County and City wish to engage, we remain ready to solve this funding gap together.”

In response, Pinellas County Chair Kathleen Peters expressed that she believes none of the commissioners would renegotiate to provide more funding than what was agreed upon. This means the team will need to come up with about $700 million of its share of the project without additional taxpayer money.

Meanwhile, Mayor Ken Welch wrote on X, “We will continue to focus our work on repairs to Tropicana Field to meet our current obligations, and our ongoing discussions with the Rays and other stakeholders to move this project forward.”

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(Rendering courtesy Tampa Bay Rays/Hines)