New details on the Tampa Bay Rays' quest to build a new baseball stadium should emerge this week.
A meeting is expected to be held on Tuesday between Gov. Ron DeSantis and Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred.
The meeting should reveal where negotiations are expected to turn as the team looks at Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus.
Two weeks ago, the Hillsborough College Board of Trustees approved a memorandum of understanding with the Rays to redevelop the 113-acre Dale Mabry campus site, including a new ballpark.
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Even though DeSantis has said no state money would be used to build the domed stadium, the state owns the college and would be in a position to help relocate its buildings.
The issue will come before Hillsborough County commissioners at their Wednesday meeting.
A notice for the meeting says the Rays would pay at least half the cost of a stadium. The rest could come from tourist bed taxes or increases in property taxes collected from the surrounding area after a stadium is built. No money from the county's general fund is being eyed to pay for the project.
Negotiations would include relocation of the 50-year-old campus to a "College District" on the southwest corner of the property. The area would be retained by the college and not leased to the Rays.
The Rays envision a fixed-roof stadium as the anchor for the project, which would include hotels, retail, restaurants and bars. They said the revenue stream from the surrounding development is needed to help finance the stadium.
Here are some of the potential sources of the other 50% of the money needed to build a new ballpark:
- Tourist Development Tax (6th Cent);
- Future revenue from CIT that exceeds the initial estimated annual growth rate, reallocated sports facility dollars or unallocated dollars. No transportation or public safety projects would be impacted;
- Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) property tax increment revenue generated by new development in the Drew Park CRA and the potential extension of the CRA which expires in 2034. [NOTE: CRA tax increment revenue is required to be spent only within the boundaries of the CRAs and would not be available for general use by the County to fund other government services];
- Community Development District(s) authorized by the City of Tampa;
- Westshore Hotel/Motel Special Assessment Fee, as authorized by the City of Tampa;
- Florida Sports Development Program as authorized by Florida Statutes;
- Other potential sources such as a new Entertainment District Retail Use Tax or new Rental Car Surcharge as may be identified in future negotiations.
The agenda item also says, "It is important to note there have been no negotiations with the Rays' new ownership. While the Rays have requested information about potential funding sources as part of researching and evaluating options for a ballpark site and ballpark financing options, the singular purpose of those requests has been to determine whether a feasible framework exists on which to predicate future negotiations of business terms."
"Any future framework of funding options would be presented to the County Commission, City of Tampa, and Tampa Sports Authority for further consideration."
Former managing partner Stuart Sternberg canceled a deal to build a stadium as part of a mixed-use development on the Historic Gas Plant site, where Tropicana Field is located. The deal died after Hurricane Milton ripped off the dome's fabric roof in 2024, with the Rays citing delays because of the storm that likely drove up the proposal's cost.
The hurricane damage forced the Rays to play the 2025 season at Tampa's George Steinbrenner Field. Tropicana Field is expected to be repaired and ready for the start of this year's regular season.
