THE Tampa Bay Rays are getting money to build a new baseball stadium — apparently, whether the team likes it or not.
The St. Petersburg City Council voted Thursday to approve bonds that would help finance a roughly $1.3 billion new project and development in the area’s historic Gas Works District. The vote passed by a 4-3 margin.
There will then be a vote by the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners to approve its side of the stadium bond deal. This vote will take place on December 17. The Rays will have to finance the rest of the project.
Previously, the Rays declared the deal dead. Team co-president Brian Auld expressed concern to board members about delays by the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners and likely costs to the team that would exceed what was anticipated in the original agreement.
Breaking: The St. Petersburg City Council just voted 4-3 to approve $287.5 million in bonds for the Rays’ new stadium, $1.3 billion, and $142 million for infrastructure the gas factory. The vote now determines which Pinellas commissioners will vote on their share of the $312.5 million bond on Dec. 17. @BN9 pic.twitter.com/AYp5z6AbSc
–Josh Rojas (@JoshRojasBN9) December 5, 2024
However, board member Brandi Gabbard revealed that the vote was likely taken to call the Rays’ bluff in trying to get out of the deal in an effort to restructure their financial obligations.
“We need to move this forward because, frankly, I think we’re fooling them by doing this,” Gabbard said before the vote. “We put it out there, we participate in it. We are a partner in all of this. Hopefully the county will follow suit.
“And then it will be up to the Rays to decide. It will be up to them to return to their partners, to return to seek other funding. And when they can’t play, it’ll be up to them to come back and say they can’t.
Funding for the projected $55.7 million cost of repairing Tropicana Field to allow the Rays to play there during the 2026 MLB season has yet to be determined. The St. Petersburg City Council initially approved an expenditure $23.7 million for the project, only to reconsider this decision during a second vote.
The Rays have already announced that they will play their home games in 2025 at Steinbrenner Field in Tampaspring training home of the New York Yankees and ballpark of their Class A affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons.
Weather issues (humidity) forced MLB to swap Rays home games with the Los Angeles Angels and the Minnesota Twins. As a result, the Rays will play 64 of their final 108 games on the road. This includes eight home games in July and August.
