Two weeks before the Rays of Tampa Bay started their 2025 season to play in the Steinbrenner Field minor league field, the owner of the Stuart Sternberg team announced on social networks that the franchise “cannot move forward“With a new stadium and a development in Saint Petersburg, Florida.
“After a meticulous deliberation, we have concluded that we cannot move forward with the new stadium and development project at the moment,” wrote Sternberg in a declaration. A series of events starting in October that no one could have predicted led to this difficult decision. “”
“We continue to focus on the search for a stage solution that serves the best interest in our region, Major League Baseball and our organization,” he continued.
Sternberg added that the city of Saint Petersburg is trying to restore Tropicana Field, which was considerably damaged during Hurricane Milton, and the team will play there in 2026.
The Rays announcement became before a deadline of March 31 for the team to make $ 700 million for a new development of $ 1.3 billion in the historic district of the historic gas plant. The construction of the project was to start during the winter, but the Hurricane Milton and the disagreement between the team and the municipal council of Saint Petersburg on the development costs blocked these plans.
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In December, the municipal council voted to approve the obligations This would help finance the new stadium project. The vote, which was adopted by a margin of 4-3, actually called the Rays bluff while the team was trying to retreat from the initial agreement in order to restructure its financial obligation.
“We put it there, we are in it. We are a partner in this area. Hopefully the (Pinellas County Board) will follow suit, said the member of the Brandi Gabbard council at the time, via athletics.
“And then it will be on the shelves to decide. It will be up to them to return to their partners – go back and find another funding. And then when they can’t play, it will be up to them to come back and say that they cannot. “”
The County Pinellas Council elected the project Two weeks later, which put the burden on the shelves to find their financial obligation towards the development of the stadium.
The Rays announcement was made in the middle of the information according to which the MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, and other team owners put pressure on Sternberg to sell the team. The league wanted the franchise to remain in Florida, whether in downtown Tampa or Orlando.
At least two ownership groups have emerged to express their interest in buying the franchise, Sports reports. One of the groups includes the family of Edward Debartolo Jr., whose members still have a participation in the 49ers of San Francisco, in addition to the former owner of the New York Yankees minority, Joe Malloy. Meanwhile, Sternberg is trying to recruit minority investors.
Plans to repair the tropicana land continues, with St. Petersburg recently Approving an additional $ 950,000 Towards a pre-construction phase of the project. The total costs of the city should be $ 56 million, the project should be completed in January 2026.
The Rays open the MLB 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field on March 28, welcoming the Rockies of Colorado.
