Hillsborough College

Concerned community members spoke out at the HC Board of Trustees meeting Wednesday about how the Rays stadium deal's construction will affect students and faculty at the Dale Mabry campus.

It was initially a tie vote on the city council. It took getting one council member out of his sickbed to get it passed.

The money for the $10 million project will come from federal and state transportation funds. When complete, Tampa Bay Boulevard will be four lanes next to the proposed stadium district.

When the Tampa Bay Rays begin work on Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus, classes will move to a temporary hub called The Nest.

The partnership was announced two days after the Hillsborough County Commission selected the Tampa Sports Authority as owner’s representative for the local governments.

The board agreed to take up contract obligations on Nov. 12, including changes to four CRAs and the Community Benefits Agreement. The continuances won't undo any provisions of the stadium deal.

After years of proposals, political fights and false starts, the Rays finally have approvals for a new stadium. Now what? And what happened to plans for a pop-up concert in support of a closed bookstore?

The 4-3 vote came near the end of an eight-hour meeting. The Hillsborough County Commission has a special meeting at 9 a.m. Friday to take up what has become a fluid "final" financing agreement.

The college's trustees approved hiring a project management firm to serve as the owner’s representative if construction takes place. The board also amended its capital improvement plan to include $50 million allocated by the state for the project.

Among the changes in the 134-page contract from May's nonbinding MOU: The Rays increased their commitment by $100 million, to $1.37 billion, with a corresponding decrease in the public contribution.

A draft is expected to go public Thursday. The agreement, which will include recent proposals by Councilman Bill Carlson, would then be added to upcoming agendas for the city council and county commission.

AECOM Hunt has an extensive track record with the Rays and the region. That includes building Tropicana Field and replacing the St. Petersburg ballpark’s roof after it was destroyed by Hurricane Milton.