As of Monday’s close, the stadium agreement between St. Petersburg and the Tampa Bay Rays will officially expire.

Monday marks the deadline for the Rays to fulfill specific financial obligations tied to the deal, which was intended to spearhead the redevelopment of downtown St. Petersburg’s historic Gas Plant area.

Failure to submit a letter terminating the agreement will result in its automatic expiration.

Following this, Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala intends to request that the Rays reimburse the county for costs incurred during preparations for the deal. Latvala has directed the county to draft a letter to the team, citing their public claims of having secured the necessary funding.

Earlier this month, the Rays announced they could no longer proceed with the agreement.

When questioned about the county’s reimbursement plan, St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch told the Tampa Bay Times, that the proposal “has merit.” Welch continues to emphasize his commitment to redeveloping the Gas Plant District surrounding Tropicana Field in some form.

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(Image credit: Spectrum News)

PIE-Sun.com: local St. Pete-Clearwater

Since Stu Sternberg and @RaysBaseball have made numerous public comments claiming to have the $$ for the deal they signed but he has appeared to walk away from I asked Pinellas Co staff today to prepare a letter asking him to reimburse our residents for expenses we incurred.

— Chris Latvala (@ComChrisLatvala) March 25, 2025