• Loading stock data...
Wednesday, May 28, 2025

St. Pete Approves $1.3 Billion Rays Stadium, Ending Relocation Rumors

  • St. Petersburg’s city council formally approves the MLB club’s $1.3 billion stadium plan.
  • Team owner Stu Sternberg acknowledges prior ‘missteps’ but reaffirms his commitment to the market.
Tampa Bay Rays
Tampa Bay Rays

Nearly a generation of uncertainty surrounding the Rays and their status in the Tampa Bay market is now definitively ending as the St. Petersburg, Fla., city council on Thursday approved the club’s proposed $1.3 billion stadium and mixed-use development.

By the same 5–3 margin as a preliminary vote last month, the council gave the green light to a new, domed Rays stadium near the club’s current and much-maligned facility, Tropicana Field. The Rays’ plan for the new ballpark calls for the club to pay $700 million plus cost overruns, with the public sector contributing the remaining $600 million. 

Most meaningfully, the stadium deal finally ends years of relocation rumors and talk centered on the team’s low attendance at Tropicana Field.

“It is my belief that we are in an incredibly unique moment in our city’s history that is unlikely to be replicated in any other way that will be meaningful to our community,” said city council member Brandi Gabbard, one of the “yes” votes.

The city council vote was to approve a dozen legally binding agreements overseeing the funding and construction of the stadium and surrounding development in St. Petersburg’s Historic Gas Plant District. The matter now moves to the Pinellas County Commission to approve $312.5 million in tourist tax dollars, but the vote in St. Petersburg represented the key hurdle in the process.

Keeping the Faith

Despite the long period of doubt surrounding the Rays’ situation, both the club and MLB remained stalwart advocates of the market. 

“We’ve made a number of missteps over the years. We dust ourselves off. We come back again,” said Rays owner Stu Sternberg. “Things change in life, things change around in markets, and they change around in baseball. But as we’ve always been clear: We wanted to be here, and we want to be here to stay.”

Among those missteps was a prior, widely criticized plan by the club to split its season with home games in St. Petersburg and Montreal, an effort the club ultimately abandoned. The Rays released updated renderings (above) late last month on the planned St. Petersburg stadium, and they hope to break ground early next year in advance of a projected 2028 facility opening.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

NBA East Finals Delivers Strong TV Ratings, but West Is Struggling

The Knicks and Thunder are both up 3–1 in their conference finals series.
Feb 14, 2024; Kansas City, MO, USA; A general view of the Kansas City Royals 1985 and 2015 World Series championships on the scoreboard at Kauffman Stadium at the Truman Sports Complex.

Chiefs, Royals Stadium Public Funding Standoff Nears Endgame

Missouri legislators will review stadium bonds for the Chiefs and Royals.
Vince McMahon

Former WWE Exec Flips on Vince McMahon in Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Janel Grant and John Laurinaitis announced their settlement Wednesday.

Featured Today

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Mar 23, 2025; Miami, FL, USA; Alexandra Eala (PHI) reacts after winning a point against Madison Keys (USA)(not pictured) on day six of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium.
May 24, 2025

Alex Eala Is Defying Her Country’s Odds to Make French Open History

The Philippines native has overcome a unique set of financial odds.
May 24, 2025

Indiana Is the Center of the Basketball Universe—Thanks to Both Pro Teams

The Fever and Pacers are thriving at the same time.
Around the Horn - October 26, 2020
May 23, 2025

‘Quirky, Nutty, Bombastic’: 10 ‘Around the Horn’ Faces on Their Top Moments

“A quirky, nutty, bombastic, mostly wrong, sometimes right, crazy sports family.”
U.S. Women's Golf

U.S Women’s Open Will Play on Courses Once Reserved for Men

Erin Hills Golf Course in Wisconsin is hosting this week’s tournament.
Sep 25, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; A general view of Soldier Field before a game between the Chicago Bears and the Houston Texans. Chicago defeated Houston 23-20.
May 19, 2025

Bears Pivot to Suburbs As $4.7B Downtown Stadium Plans Dim

The NFL team has reversed course on its lavish plans.
Gillette
May 21, 2025

Boston NWSL Team to Play at Gillette After Legal Fight Delayed Own..

The team beat a lawsuit from locals against their stadium in April.
Sponsored

Game On: Portfolio Players Stories, Brought to You by E*TRADE from Morgan Stanley

In Episode 7 of Portfolio Players, go inside the boardroom with Avenue Capital CEO and former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry on Giannis’s future, women’s sports, and upstart leagues like TGL and Unrivaled. 
May 18, 2025

Final Preakness Stakes at ‘Pimlico As We Know It’ Delivers High Drama

The Baltimore horse racing track is set for a $400 million renovation.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
May 16, 2025

Public Funding for Arenas Is Failing Everywhere—Except Oklahoma City

Voters chose to fund $850 million for a new Thunder arena.
Gianni Infantino
May 14, 2025

Rights Groups Sound Alarm on Saudi Worker Deaths Ahead of World Cup

Saudi Arabia promised construction of 11 stadiums for the 2034 World Cup.
Boomstick Burrito
May 11, 2025

The Arms Race to Create the Wildest Ballpark Concessions

Forget the score—did you see the milkshake?