The Tampa Bay Rays’ nearly two-decade effort to develop a successor facility to the much-derided Tropicana Field could at last be finding success, as the MLB club is reportedly set to announce a ballpark development deal with St. Petersburg, Florida.
The Tampa Bay Times reports that the Rays and the city on Tuesday will announce plans for a $1.2 billion, 30,000-seat stadium, with the facility opening in 2028 and serving as a key element of a larger, 86-acre redevelopment of St. Petersburg’s Gas Plant District.
Rays owner Stu Sternberg recently signaled that the long-awaited ballpark deal was near, and that he would be willing to pay for more than half to the stadium cost.
Despite fielding regularly competitive teams and making two World Series appearances under Sternberg, the low-spending Rays have routinely ranked among MLB’s lowest-attended franchises.
This story will be updated.
![[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 15, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Botafogo owner John Textor inside the stadium before the match during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Lumen Field.](https://frontofficesports.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/USATSI_26465842_168416386_lowres-scaled.jpg?quality=100&w=1024)
