ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays should state in writing whether they want to continue an existing financing plan for a new $1.3 billion ballpark or whether they want to walk away from the deal, a top official said. county official.
Kathleen Peters, chairwoman of the Pinellas County Commission, said in a letter to Rays’ top executives that the county needs to know by Sunday “whether you intend to see it come to fruition” before the commission votes on December 17 on bonds to increase its share. approximate cost.
The letter came after the Rays said the plan was in jeopardy because the scheduled Oct. 29 bond vote was delayed. The St. Petersburg City Council also delayed a vote on its share of stadium financing obligations.
A complicating factor is the severe and costly damage to Tropicana Field’s roof from Hurricane Milton, which rendered it unusable.
“Pinellas County acted in good faith, working toward the stadium agreement while balancing the needs of our community after back-to-back hurricanes,” Peters wrote. “If the Rays want to break this agreement, you have the right to end the partnership. Clear communication of your intentions will be essential to the next steps of this partnership.
Rays co-chairman Brian Auld said in a statement Tuesday that the team is not giving up.
“We look forward to working with all partners on a solution for the 2029 season that keeps Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come,” Auld said. “As we always have, we will maintain contact with the city and county as we address our future.”
The $1.3 billion, 30,000-seat stadium would be the first part of a larger downtown renovation project known as the Gasworks Historic District, named after a predominantly black that was moved to Tropicana Field and a highway junction. It would include hotels, retail and restaurants, affordable housing, a black history museum and other developments.
Under the stadium deal, the city and county would cover about half the costs, with the Rays covering the rest, including potential cost overruns. The two governments approved the overall $6.5 billion renovation and stadium project earlier this year, but not the bonds to finance the stadium.
Due to hurricane damage at the Trop, the Rays signed an agreement to play the 2025 season at Tampa’s 11,000-capacity Steinbrenner Field, spring training home of the New York Yankees. St. Petersburg officials estimate the cost of repairing the Trop at about $55.7 million with the goal of making it ready for the 2026 season, and there are doubts about whether that timeline is feasible.
Peters, the county commission chairwoman, said in her letter that there is still time for the current rough agreement to move forward with the adoption of funding bonds. She said the deadline to offer the bonds was March 31 and the county did not consider the deal dead.
The city and county, Peters added, cannot terminate the agreement unless the new ballpark is not completed by Feb. 1, 2030.
