TAMPA — The Tampa City Council voted 4-3 Thursday to approve the Tampa Bay Rays’ stadium deal, clearing the way for a final vote by the Hillsborough County Commission on Friday morning that would end a two-decade stadium saga and lock Major League Baseball into the region for 35 years.
Council members Alan Clendenin, Naya Young, Luis Viera and Bill Carlson voted in favor. Lynn Hurtak, Guido Maniscalco and Charlie Miranda voted against. Under the deal, the Rays will invest approximately $1.37 billion, plus all cost overruns, while the county covers $796 million and the city’s portion is set at $80 million — down from the $100 million Community Redevelopment Agency contribution outlined in an earlier framework.
“Today’s affirmative vote by the Tampa City Council is incredible news for the entire Tampa Bay community,” Rays chief executive officer Ken Babby said in a statement. “The Tampa Bay Rays are grateful for the leadership and support of the City Council members to approve an investment that, when accompanied by the private funding guaranteed by the Rays, will secure the future of Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay while creating a landmark destination neighborhood that will serve our region for generations.”
The reduction in the city’s share came after Carlson, who in late May voted for a non-binding memorandum of understanding only to continue discussions, demanded better terms. The definitive documents released last week replaced Tampa’s CRA contribution with a Community Development District privately financed by the Rays. “I didn’t change my mind. The deal changed,” Carlson said during Thursday’s meeting. “The only thing that changed is I’m representing the people of this city, and I want to get what’s in the best interest of the city.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor praised the vote. “I want to thank our City Council members who voted today to move this transformational project forward,” Castor said. “The opportunity before us is about much more than a ballpark. It’s about jobs, economic development, new investment and creating a destination that will generate benefits throughout Hillsborough County for decades to come.”
Viera called it a “good deal for the City of Tampa,” praising the Rays’ “extremely inclusive” approach in negotiating the agreement. “This deal is not perfect,” Young added. “But what I do see is opportunity.” Clendenin framed the stakes in broader terms: “This agreement deserves our support. I’m supporting it because I believe it is in Tampa’s best long-term interest. It is not merely a vote on a baseball stadium. It is a vote on whether Tampa is prepared to compete for investments, jobs, housing, education and opportunity, or whether we’re willing to let those opportunities go elsewhere.”
Under the agreement, the county would own the stadium, with the Rays paying $4 million annually in rent over an initial 35-year term. The Rays’ current use agreement at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg expires after the 2028 season. A preliminary project schedule calls for mobilization and site prep to begin next Tuesday, with substantial completion of the ballpark by the end of 2028 and final completion by March 31, 2029, in time for Opening Day.
The Hillsborough County Commission is scheduled to vote Friday morning. If commissioners approve, the Rays can move to commence the bond and funding validation process before breaking ground.