Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday said Hillsborough College will receive whatever state funding is deemed necessary to rebuild as part of a plan for a Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
The $2.3 billion stadium would go up on land now used by the college's Dale Mabry campus as part of a multi-use development in Tampa’s Drew Park neighborhood. As part of the proposal, the state would rebuild the campus on another part of the 130-acre plot.
Legislators have included $50 million in the state budget’s Public Education Capital Outlay for campus improvements, as requested by the school in January. However, DeSantis said the state could eventually provide additional funding.
“We're happy to help with the (college) site,” he said in Tampa at a news conference on property taxes. “We've done a lot. We can do more on the infrastructure.”
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College president Ken Atwater has identified more than $50 million in needed improvements for the 56-year-old Dale Mabry campus. DeSantis has long preferred rebuilding rather than repairing, saying he wants to “make it something that’s really significant.”
“So, this $50 million that was in the budget — I don't think they were ever talking about $150 million in the budget for now,” DeSantis said. “I think maybe over time you would do more to spruce up the campus because I think it could be something meaningful. And I'm happy to support it.”
DeSantis again pointed out that no state money would go to the Rays or stadium construction.
"So, our role has been not necessarily to say, 'Oh, we have state money for a stadium or this or that,' because that's just not something we've done since I've been governor," he said.
The Rays and the college's trustees agreed last week on a 99-year ground lease to allow the team use of the campus. Local officials have questioned the annual base rent of $10, which is far below the development value of the combined parcels, according to the county property appraiser’s office.
DeSantis said he wasn’t concerned because the land isn't worth much in its current state.
“No one's going to build a housing development there. No one's going to do office space there. What would you do there unless you had this type of mixed-use vision?” he said. “That's really the only thing I think that would bring it to life and ultimately produce a lot. And it's not just all about producing revenue for the local government, but I do think it would produce jobs.”
Plans for the stadium, financed in a private-public partnership, have moved into a second tier of negotiations involving the Rays, Hillsborough County and city of Tampa.
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Those talks were triggered by the approvals last week of a nonbinding memorandum of approval by the county commission and city council. Once definitive financial agreements are completed, the boards will have a final say.
County Commission Chair Ken Hagan on Wednesday said he anticipates local governments to vote in mid-July on finalized agreements for a Tampa Bay Rays stadium.
“My goal is to have the definitive documents in front of us in July,” Hagan told J.P. Peterson’s Fan Stream Sports podcast. “We have a board meeting on July 15. So, potentially that day, or maybe have to call a special meeting right around there.”
Whether the city council will approve it is uncertain, with some councilors against use of $80 million from the half-cent Community Investment Tax and $100 million in tax-increment funds from the Drew Park Community Redevelopment Area.
The mid-July timeline allows about six weeks to nail down specifics contained in another five or six documents, each with hundreds of pages, said Hagan, who has represented the county in the talks.
“I've given that date internally to our folks,” Hagan said. “I've shared that with the Rays. That's what we're shooting for. I think it's doable, assuming all the parties continue to keep negotiating in good faith and keep providing the necessary information and documents in a timely fashion.”
A regular city council meeting would likely be scheduled for July 16. Before that, council members are expected to vote on use of the Drew Park CRA on June 11.
DeSantis said he's not involved in the negotiations between the team and local governments, but he's rooting for Tampa to keep Major League Baseball.
“Maybe if they don't want to do it, I know Orlando's ready, willing and able,” DeSantis said. “I think you have Raleigh-Durham, Nashville, and those are great cities, but I'd hate to see us fumble a team and have it end up in some of those other areas.”
