The Tampa Bay Rays are targeting a September groundbreaking for a new $2.3 billion ballpark at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus, after Tampa and Hillsborough County approved a combined $876 million public contribution.
The ownership group has committed to funding the remaining $1.37 billion, as well as any construction cost overruns, under the agreement approved by the local authorities last week.
The proposed stadium is intended to anchor a wider mixed-use district featuring homes, offices, shops, restaurants, hotels and public spaces. It would be built across Dale Mabry Highway from Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and beside George M Steinbrenner Field.
Rays chief executive Ken Babby said the plans should be viewed as a long-term redevelopment project rather than simply a new home for the baseball team.
“We need to stop thinking about this as building a ballpark in Tampa Bay,” he said. “We need to start thinking about this as a generational transformational project.”
The Tampa City Council approved the deal by four votes to three, while Hillsborough County commissioners backed it by five votes to two. The county is expected to provide $796 million, with the city contributing $80 million.
The definitive agreement is expected to include a 35-year initial term and a commitment from the Rays not to relocate. The club’s existing agreement to play at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg expires after the 2028 season.
Rays ballpark plans include temporary college campus
Before construction can begin, the project must pass bond and funding validation, while a community benefits agreement is still being finalised.
The Rays have appointed AECOM Hunt, Turner Construction and Horus Construction Services to oversee the stadium project. The planned ballpark is expected to accommodate about 30,000 spectators and is designed to host events beyond regular-season baseball, including concerts, graduations and other large sporting occasions.
Construction will take place while Hillsborough College continues teaching at its Dale Mabry campus. Some classes will move temporarily to other parts of the site, while the college develops a temporary facility known as “The Nest”.
The interim campus is expected to include portable classrooms and other facilities for students and staff. Babby said work on the temporary arrangements was among the project’s immediate priorities.
“We are eager to begin work on The Nest immediately,” he said. “The Nest is the transitionary process of building their new temporary campus while we’re still in construction.”
Hillsborough College president Ken Atwater said preparations were under way to ensure teaching could continue throughout the redevelopment.
“Our first move to try to ensure that we get into our temporary facilities and begin the process of establishing those,” he said. “That way, we can continue to offer educational classes.”
The college is also due to undergo a $215 million redevelopment of its own. The plans include a new library, classroom buildings, outdoor areas and learning commons as part of the wider stadium district.
For some students, the scale and duration of the work remain a concern. Matthew Addison said the presence of construction workers and machinery could prove disruptive while lessons were taking place.
“Having a lot of construction workers out while students are trying to learn could be a distraction,” he said.
Others believe the disruption will be justified by the long-term improvements. Student Desiray P. said the temporary changes would be manageable if the new facilities were delivered as planned.
The Rays hope to hold the groundbreaking ceremony in September and complete the stadium in time for Opening Day in 2029, when the club is due to begin playing at its proposed new Tampa home.
