The Rays, thriving on the field under new ownership, once again have initial local government approvals for a new ballpark. Now comes the tougher part.
The Tampa City Council approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the MLB club on Thursday for a $2.3 billion ballpark located on Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry Campus. That ratification—following a council meeting lasting more than six hours in a packed City Hall—follows a similar move by the Hillsborough County Commission on Wednesday, and the prior formation of the MOU.
The city council vote was by a narrow 4–3 margin, raising potential issues in the future as the stadium project progresses.
With the latest moves, the Rays have a framework in place to build a ballpark and mixed-use development. The club would pay at least $1.3 billion toward the ballpark, along with all cost overruns, while the city and council would combine for a contribution capped at $976 million.
Next up in the current stadium development process is a series of public hearings toward drafting a binding agreement, as well as multiple financial and land-use reviews. The city council vote, however, suggests a possible need for further concessions from the team. Already, one council member who voted “yes,” Bill Carlson, signaled he would almost certainly oppose the final stadium project.
