Following a narrow City Council approval, the Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-2 on Friday to fund a stadium project and mixed-use district for the Tampa Bay Rays at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus, targeting an Opening Day 2029 opening.
Hillsborough County Commission and City Council Approvals
The Tampa Bay Rays secured the local government approvals needed to move toward construction at the Hillsborough College North Dale Mabry campus. Hillsborough County Commissioners agreed on Friday, in a 5-2 vote, to approve the deal. The county vote, one of the final major hurdles in securing the Rays’ new long-term home, came one day after Tampa’s city council voted in favor of the stadium. Tampa City Council approved their portion of the funding for the Tampa Bay Rays’ proposed stadium deal in a key vote on Thursday. Council members voted 4-3 in favor of their portion of funding the massive project. With approval from the county and city, the Rays can now begin the bond and funding validation process before breaking ground on the new ballpark. The stadium is planned to be ready for Opening Day 2029. The Rays’ current lease at Tropicana Field, in nearby St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, runs through 2028.
The new stadium will be built across the street from Raymond James Stadium, home of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and will include a massive redevelopment project that will revitalize Hillsborough College and add a thriving neighborhood and stadium district to the city. The $2.3 billion ballpark will be built on public land, which the Rays will then rent from the city for $4 million per season, with a 35-year lease that includes a non-relocation agreement.
Public Funding and Private Financial Commitments
With those crucial approvals in place, the Rays have secured the necessary public funding to move forward with the construction of a new $2.3 billion mixed-use development near Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus. The stadium, which is planned to be ready for Opening Day 2029, is projected to cost just under $2.4 billion. To fund the stadium, the Rays have committed to pay $1.37 billion, plus cost overruns, while requesting $796 million from existing Hillsborough County tax sources — as approved today — plus $80 million from the City of Tampa, and $54 million from other public funding sources in the state. The team will provide an additional $1.4 billion in private funding and will cover any overrun costs, with the club reportedly expected to cover approximately $1.37 billion, plus all cost overruns.
City administrators proposed an $80 million loan to the Rays that would be paid in four installments. The loan will eventually be paid off by the revenue the surrounding development takes in. However, the city will have to pay interest until the revenue comes in, which could cost between $40 million and $50 million. Major League Baseball must provide a $150 million loan for the project, according to the stadium development and funding agreement. The Rays had previously asked Tampa for $180 million, and the team is now covering the $100 million difference.
Debate Among Council Members and Public Speakers
Tampa City council members began debating this at 12:30 p.m. Thursday and heard from dozens of public speakers and debated the deal amongst themselves. Public speakers who spoke in favor of the project brought up the economic benefit, the improvements to Hillsborough College and what the Rays mean to the community. Those who were against it said the economic benefit may not come, that this is being rushed and that billionaires should be paying for their own stadiums.
When you look at your kids, grandkids, your children, that when they're graduating from that college, and they have that internship, they have the job, or the workers at the ballpark, that you can turn to them and say… ‘I was a part of that. I helped your future,’one public speaker said. Another public speaker added:This is your legacy. You guys, none of you will be sitting on council by the time all of the revelation of what this turns out to be comes to pass. You do not want people remembering you as the people who screwed the city 20 years ago.
Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak said Tampa should reject using taxpayer money to subsidize professional sports team owners. Economists have repeatedly found in academic studies that taxpayer subsidies for stadiums deliver little to no economic gain for the public.
The opportunity before us is about much more than a ballpark,
Tampa mayor Jane Castor said in a news release Wednesday, following the city vote. It’s about jobs, economic development, new investment, and creating a destination that will generate benefits throughout Hillsborough County for decades to come.
Leadership Changes and Future Impact on Major League Baseball
The Rays’ quest for a new stadium has spanned decades, various potential sites and multiple ownership groups. Stu Sternberg tried for many years to build a ballpark before selling the team to a group led by real estate developer Patrick Zalupski last year. Gaining the city’s approval was an arduous process for the club. The council narrowly agreed with the team on a non-binding memorandum of understanding in May, and has pushed for changes in the deal since, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
Rays CEO Ken Babby, who has led the negotiations behind the scenes since Patrick Zalupski bought the Rays in October 2025, released the following statement:
“The Tampa Bay Rays enthusiastically thank and applaud the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners for making history. By virtue of its approval of a county investment in partnership with the Rays and the City of Tampa, today our entire region can celebrate the coming of a privately financed and mixed-use neighborhood, a reinvented Hillsborough College campus, and a new ballpark that secures the long-term future of Major League Baseball here in Tampa Bay. With deep gratitude, we commend Hillsborough County Chair Ken Hagan and his fellow elected officials for their vision and support. We are also grateful to Dr. Ken Atwater, President of Hillsborough College, who has been an inspiration throughout this journey. We all have more work ahead, but there is no question our partnership will ensure a cohesive and successful process. Above all, we now look forward to celebrating before breaking ground with Hillsborough County an the City of Tampa on a future that has long been doubted, but will indeed happen.”
Ken Babby, Rays CEO
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