Rays Stadium

Votes included setting aside $90 million in the county's renewed Community Investment Tax for the project and authorizing $263 million in bonds backed by tourist development taxes.

Tampa Bay lost to a better team. And once the sting of the World Series defeat lessens, the Rays will be able to appreciate their journey from nearly being homeless to playing for a championship.

The agreement would have the baseball team pay back money to the city in installments for improvements to city neighborhoods around the proposed stadium.

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.

Perhaps lost amid the fervor of the team reaching the World Series is the reality that professional sports are built on big finance and politics.

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.

The facility, slated to open early next year, will provide visualizations of the ballpark and surrounding district. Meantime, the stadium's construction manager held outreach sessions for the local trades industry.

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

When the previous owners rebranded the team in 2007, they removed the region from the away jerseys — standard fare for most teams. The new primary kit with a retro look debuts Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

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.