TAMPA — The Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners voted 5-2 to approve the Tampa Bay Rays’ $2.36 billion “Forever Home” ballpark on the site of Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus, clearing the final major governmental hurdle for a franchise that has spent two decades searching for a permanent stadium.
The county vote came one day after the Tampa City Council approved the deal on a 4-3 vote. County Commissioners Ken Hagan, Harry Cohen, Gwen Myers, Christine Miller and Chris Boles voted in favor. Donna Cameron Cepeda and Joshua Wostal voted against.
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone who invested their time, energy, ideas and trust in getting us to this moment,” managing partner Patrick Zalupski said in a statement. “Today is an incredible day for Tampa Bay. Thank you to everyone who helped make it possible. Forever starts now.”
Hillsborough County will cover $796 million of the project’s cost — roughly $360 million from the Community Investment Tax and approximately $303 million from Tourist Development Tax revenue. The city of Tampa’s contribution is $80 million. The Rays are set to invest approximately $1.37 billion plus all cost overruns and will privately finance the surrounding mixed-use district.
The fixed-roof stadium will have a minimum of 28,000 seats and sit along Dale Mabry Highway, across the street from the Buccaneers’ Raymond James Stadium and adjacent to the Yankees’ Steinbrenner Field. Hillsborough County will own the facility, with the Rays paying $4 million annually in rent under a 35-year use agreement that includes a non-relocation clause.
“The Tampa Bay Rays enthusiastically thank and applaud the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners for making history,” chief executive officer Ken Babby said. “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.”
Zalupski’s ownership group took control of the franchise last September after purchasing it from former principal owner Stuart Sternberg. The group identified the Dale Mabry site in January and entered into a non-binding partnership with Hillsborough College, moving through renderings and a memorandum of understanding with support from MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Rays’ current use agreement at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg expires after the 2028 season, and the club is targeting Opening Day 2029 at the new stadium. The next steps include a community benefits agreement process and bond and funding validation before a groundbreaking ceremony.