The Tampa Bay Rays have secured back-to-back government approvals for a $2.36 billion stadium, bringing the long-discussed project into much sharper focus. Tampa City Council signed off on its portion of the deal by a 4-3 vote on August 27, followed the next day by a 5-2 yes from the Hillsborough County Commission.
The planned venue would rise on Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus — already a busy sports corridor that includes Raymond James Stadium and George M. Steinbrenner Field. With a fixed roof and roughly 28,000 seats configured for baseball (expanding to around 30,000 for other events), Rays officials say it could become the largest indoor event facility in the Tampa Bay region and one of the largest in Florida. Concerts, touring productions, wrestling, volleyball, and graduations are among the non-baseball uses the team envisions.
On the financial side, Hillsborough County is committed to up to $796 million, the City of Tampa to $80 million, and the Rays to approximately $1.37 billion — with the team also on the hook for any construction cost overruns. The county would own the facility; the Rays would pay $4 million annually in rent under an initial 35-year use agreement that includes a non-relocation provision.
If the timeline holds, the Rays would move in after their Tropicana Field lease expires following the 2028 season — closing the chapter on a St. Petersburg home the club has occupied since its 1998 debut (minus a 2025 detour to Steinbrenner Field following hurricane damage). The stadium would also anchor broader redevelopment of the Dale Mabry campus, adding residential, commercial, educational, and entertainment components to the surrounding area.
Several steps remain before shovels hit the ground, including completion of additional agreements and validation of bonds and funding. Rays managing partner Patrick Zalupski acknowledged the road ahead while expressing confidence in the project's direction. This story was originally reported by TicketNews.
