Tampa Bay Rays Unveil $2.3B Stadium Plan

0:00It's April 9th. This is Tampa Bay News today, AI-powered stories from your city. I'm Cory with the story. A new memorandum lays out a $2.3 billion plan for the Tampa Bay Ray Stadium near Hillsboro Community Colleges, Dale Maybury, campus, aiming for an opening in 2029. Public money from Tampa at $251 million and Hillsboro County at $750 million would fund most of it. Backed by tourist taxes and redevelopment funds, not straight from taxpayer pockets, while the rays cover the rest through private cash and ticket surcharges. This goes beyond baseball with mixed-use spots like parks, plazas, and events bases for concerts, plus community parks such as local hiring, youth, programs, and emergency access for officials. The county would own the land, but a rays group leases it for 35 years with extension options, handling all operations, maintenance, and even insurance after that tropical field roof drama.

1:01County leaders are eyeing legal hurdles on some funding sources, but Ray's exec Ken Babby calls it a solid public-private team-up and with board. Approvals, MLB sign-off, and financing locked in soon. This could be Tampa Bay's forever home on track.