Tag: Tampa Bay Rays
-
Hillsborough County taxpayers won’t be writing a check for the Tampa Bay Rays’ new stadium, but visitors already have been for years, and now the bill is coming due in a big way. The Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commission this week approved funding for the Rays’ new $2.3 billion ballpark along Dale Mabry…
·
-
By the slimmest possible margin, the Tampa City Council voted 4-3 on Thursday to commit public dollars toward a $2.3 billion stadium and mixed-use development intended to lure the Tampa Bay Rays to a new home at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus. Council Chair Alan Clendenin and members Bill Carlson, Luis Viera and Naya Young…
·
-
The Tampa City Council will decide Thursday morning whether to lock the city into its share of funding for a new $2.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark, a vote that could commit taxpayer dollars to the project for years to come. The council meets at 10 a.m. to consider finalizing the city’s contribution to the…
·
-
Hillsborough County taxpayers are about to find out whether nearly $880 million in public money will flow to a professional sports franchise, as local governments prepare to finalize a deal that has grown and shifted in the final stretch before a vote. Tampa City Council is scheduled to vote on the stadium funding package Thursday,…
·
-
The Tampa City Council voted Thursday to delay a decision on the Tampa Bay Rays’ $2.3 billion stadium proposal until Aug. 20, giving negotiators additional time to work through outstanding details on the publicly subsidized project. Sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, council members approved the postponement 5-2, with Lynn Hurtak and Charlie Miranda…
·
-
Some Tampa City Council members say they were left out of negotiations that produced the framework for a publicly financed Tampa Bay Rays stadium, raising questions about the role elected legislators play under the city’s strong-mayor form of government. While officials in Mayor Jane Castor’s administration participated directly in talks with the Rays, Hillsborough County,…
·
-
Tampa City Council members peppered Tampa Bay Rays CEO Ken Babby with questions on Wednesday night about how the public would foot its share of the bill for a proposed $2.3 billion ballpark at the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College. The Rays have said they are prepared to cover more than half the cost…
·
-
Tampa Bay Rays CEO Ken Babby has put Hillsborough County on notice, warning in an email to commissioners that the team would be forced to “evaluate alternatives” if it cannot reach a financial agreement for a proposed $2.3 billion stadium in Tampa. The Rays have proposed building the ballpark on land currently occupied by Hillsborough…
·
-
Tampa city leaders are urging caution on a proposed $2.3 billion stadium deal for the Tampa Bay Rays, saying major financial and legal questions must be answered before any commitment is made. A working draft memorandum of understanding outlines a plan to build a new stadium on the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus, with a…
·
-
A proposed new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark is advancing toward a potential vote next month, but the $2.3 billion price tag is generating pushback from at least one Hillsborough County commissioner. The stadium is proposed for Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus. The Rays’ new ownership group, led by Patrick Zalupski, has offered to cover…
·
-
The Tampa Bay Rays have announced the first in a series of public community engagement sessions to discuss plans for a proposed new ballpark and surrounding mixed-use district in Tampa. The meetings are scheduled to begin March 3 at Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus, with additional sessions planned for March 10 at Jefferson High…
·
-
The Florida Cabinet voted Tuesday to grant a 22-acre parcel of state land to Hillsborough Community College (HC), clearing a key hurdle for a proposed Tampa Bay Rays baseball stadium on the college’s Dale Mabry Highway campus in Tampa. Gov. Ron DeSantis, who presided over the vote, cited the potential economic benefits for both the…
·
-
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has committed $16.5 million to reimburse St. Petersburg for repairs to Tropicana Field, which was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in October 2024. St. Petersburg Assistant City Administrator Tom Greene informed City Council members of the expected reimbursement in a Feb. 10 email, describing it as “an extremely promising step…
·
-
St. Petersburg officials say that Tropicana Field repairs will be completed by Opening Day on April 6, 2026, more than a year after Hurricane Milton severely damaged the stadium. City leaders conducted a final media walkthrough of the facility on Friday, marking a significant milestone in the stadium’s recovery. Hurricane Milton tore through the stadium’s…
·
-
The Tampa Bay Rays will hold their annual Fan Fest on Saturday, February 14, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. outside Tropicana Field. The event will take place on 16th Street South due to ongoing repairs inside the ballpark. Admission is free, though attendees must claim tickets through the Rays website. Free parking will be…
·
-
St. Petersburg officials provided media a tour of Tropicana Field on December 3, showing repair progress after Hurricane Milton severely damaged the stadium in October 2024. The facility’s new roof was completed on November 20, with the final panel of 24 installed. Work has now shifted to interior renovations including clubhouses, the playing field, video…
·
-
The Tampa Bay Rays will return to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season after spending 2025 at Steinbrenner Field while their home stadium underwent repairs from Hurricane Milton damage. The team announced Wednesday that repairs to the stadium’s roof and interior are ongoing, with a planned home opener against the Chicago Cubs on April 6,…
·
-
John Catsimatidis Sr., founder of the New York-based Red Apple Group, has requested additional time to submit a redevelopment proposal for St. Petersburg’s Historic Gas Plant District, which houses Tropicana Field. In a letter sent Friday to Mayor Ken Welch and City Council members, Catsimatidis asked officials to extend a 30-day submission window that could…
·
-
The Tampa Bay Rays‘ $1.7 billion sale to a Jacksonville developer-led group could be finalized within the next two weeks, team officials announced Wednesday. The buyer group is headed by Dream Finders Homes CEO Patrick Zalupski, who entered exclusive negotiations with current owner Stuart Sternberg’s group in June. Two major leadership changes accompany the pending…
·
-
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday that the Tampa Bay Rays will likely revisit potential sites for a new ballpark once the team’s pending ownership change is finalized. Current owner Stu Sternberg, who has led the franchise since 2005, is negotiating a sale to a group headed by Patrick Zalupski. Manfred said new…
·
-
St. Petersburg is aiming to have hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field ready for the Tampa Bay Rays’ 2026 home opener, now officially set for April 6 against the Chicago Cubs. Major League Baseball released its schedule on Tuesday, giving the city a firm deadline to finish the ambitious repairs. Roof work is already underway, with the city…
·
-
St. Petersburg city councilors voted unanimously to end negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays on a new stadium at the Historic Gas Plant site, signaling a fresh start for one of the city’s most high-profile redevelopment projects. The decision follows the Rays’ announcement that they will no longer pursue the proposed stadium and neighborhood redevelopment…
·
-
As the Tampa Bay Rays continue their season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa this season, repairs are ramping up speed at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Team officials have said they expect to return to the Trop for the 2026 season. Tropicana Field sustained significant damage during Hurricane Milton. Eighteen of the ballpark’s 24 fabric…
·
-
Tampa Bay Rays owner Stu Sternberg may finalize a deal to sell the team as early as September, according to a report by The Athletic. The sale, valued at approximately $1.7 billion, would transfer ownership to a group led by Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski. The prospective buyers reportedly intend to keep the Rays in the…
·
-
St. Petersburg officials are preparing to formally end their stalled stadium deal with the Tampa Bay Rays and move forward with new redevelopment plans. The original $1.3 billion stadium proposal collapsed when the Rays chose not to proceed, letting a key agreement expire on March 31. Though that automatically voided other elements of the deal,…
·
-
The Tampa Bay Rays are in exclusive negotiations to sell the franchise to a group led by Jacksonville homebuilder Patrick Zalupski in a deal reportedly valued at $1.7 billion. Multiple sources confirm that Zalupski has signed a letter of intent to buy the team. While not legally binding, the agreement signals serious momentum toward a…
·
-
The City of St. Petersburg is considering tearing down Al Lang Stadium—the iconic downtown home of the Tampa Bay Rowdies—to make way for a new amphitheater and a vibrant, reimagined waterfront park. On Thursday morning, the city’s Economic and Workforce Development Committee reviewed conceptual designs and early plans for what’s being called the Center of…
·
-
The City of St. Petersburg has approved $22.5 million to replace the roof of Tropicana Field, securing its suitability for Major League Baseball after Hurricane Milton destroyed the stadium’s iconic dome in October 2024. The damage forced the Tampa Bay Rays to move their home games to George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Beth Herendeen,…
·
-
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 vote to approve repairs to Tropicana Field, severely damaged last October by Hurricane Milton, has been postponed until next month. City Council member Corey Givens Jr. revealed that the delay was communicated via email by the city administrator on Friday, as council members prepared to return from spring break. Givens expressed frustration over the…
·
-
The decision to replace the roof at Tropicana Field, which was damaged last October during Hurricane Milton, has been postponed until next month. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the City Council vote originally scheduled for this week has been rescheduled for April 3. The roof repairs are estimated to cost $22.7 million, and council…
·
-
St. Petersburg officials are standing by their decision to reduce insurance coverage on Tropicana Field, despite facing widespread criticism after Hurricane Milton severely damaged the stadium’s roof just months later. The aging ballpark remains the city’s most expensive asset, with St. Petersburg set to spend roughly $56 million on repairs while uncertainty looms over its…
·
-
What seemed like a negotiating tactic has become a reality: the Tampa Bay Rays have abandoned a $1.37 billion stadium deal in downtown St. Petersburg after years of talks. The team’s partner, Hines, has scrapped plans to convert Tropicana Field’s sprawling lots into a lively mixed-use area honoring the displaced Black community. Still, Rays owner…
·
-
A group based in Tampa has revealed its interest in acquiring the Tampa Bay Rays, according to the Tampa Bay Times. Leading this effort is Tampa businessman Joe Molloy, who aims to purchase the team and move forward with the proposed stadium deal in St. Petersburg, which remains available. The current ownership of the Rays…
·
-
As storm recovery efforts continue across Tampa Bay, the city of St. Petersburg has shared updates on key initiatives, including the commencement of repairs at Tropicana Field. Under the terms of the residency agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays, the city is responsible for the repairs, which are projected to cost approximately $56 million. The…
·
-
As the March 31 deadline approaches, the Tampa Bay Rays face a critical decision about their proposed $1.3 billion stadium and the surrounding $6.5 billion Historic Gas Plant District development in St. Petersburg. Despite prior agreements and enthusiasm, recent events have created significant obstacles that may derail the project. The Current Situation The Rays must…
·
-
Local leaders are pushing back against recent criticism from Tampa Bay Rays executives regarding the $1.3 billion stadium development agreement, with St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch leading the response to what he views as concerning public statements from the team. On February 14, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County officials responded forcefully to accusations made by…
·
-
During a pre-recorded segment on WDAE-AM’s “Countdown to Opening Day” podcast, Tampa Bay Rays presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld voiced their opinions on the storm-damaged Tropicana Field and strained relationships with local authorities. The conversation aired nine days after St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch declared that the city would not chase a new stadium…
·
-
Tropicana Field isn’t just home to the Tampa Bay Rays—it’s a hub for numerous events. Now, with storm damage forcing the stadium to close for repairs, over 50 scheduled events, including high school graduations, are relocating. St. Petersburg Council Member Copley Gerdes revealed during a recent Tourist Development Council meeting that 40 to 75 events…
·
-
The Tampa Bay Rays are demanding that Tropicana Field be fully repaired and ready for opening day of the 2026 season. However, leaders from the City of St. Petersburg have clarified that their agreement does not include a specific deadline for these repairs. The damage caused by a hurricane and the shredded roof of Tropicana…
-
Tampa Bay Rays officials now state they “support and expect” the City of St. Petersburg to complete repairs to the hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field in time for Opening Day of the 2026 season. In a letter to City Administrator Robert Gerdes, Rays President Matthew Silverman outlined the organization’s revised stance, emphasizing the importance of the city…
·
-
The Tampa Bay Rays find themselves without a permanent home after Hurricane Milton severely damaged Tropicana Field, tearing off its roof. While talks of a new stadium have gained momentum in recent days, nothing has been finalized, leaving uncertainty about the team’s future in Tampa Bay. Potential Relocation Cities According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, several…
·