The Rays’ already uphill climb to get a $2.3 billion ballpark deal done in Tampa is facing further obstacles amid a deepening political rift between Mayor Jane Castor and the city council.
As the MLB club is attempting to win over a skeptical city council on public funding for the project, that legislative body declined to move a land use plan for the ballpark project to state authorities for review. Additionally, the city council removed a planned vote on a stadium funding proposal from its Aug. 20 agenda.
Those moves prompted Castor to go public with her frustration with the council.
“It’s beyond frustrating that as city and county leaders are working tirelessly to hammer out an equitable deal to bring the Rays to Tampa, city council members want to halt our efforts in their tracks,” Castor said. “Some city council members are clearly intent on killing the plan before negotiations are done and an agreement is ready for review. It defies common sense that they would prefer to have no say in the benefits a Rays project would bring to our city and instead punt it to the county.”
City council members opposing the ballpark plan said there was no point in advancing the land use plan.
“I think it’s a waste of time to send it to the state if I’m just going to vote against it,” said city council member Lynn Hurtak.
The Rays are attempting to build a domed ballpark, along with a mixed-use development inspired in part by The Battery in Atlanta, at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry College, near Tampa International Airport and Raymond James Stadium.
The rift between Castor and council bears some similarity to an arena renovation funding debate currently unfolding in Portland.
Political Realities
The dispute also reflects the complex dynamics inherent to the Rays stadium deliberation. Castor and her administration are leading the city’s negotiations with the Rays on the ballpark funding plan, but the final say on that jurisdiction’s participation in the project still lies with the council.
As a result, Rays CEO Ken Babby is planning to meet individually with all seven council members to address complaints that the legislators have been left out of the negotiating process.
“Representing the public means having tough conversations even when you disagree,” said city council member Bill Carlson following his meeting with Babby. “The community is always better when we maintain a dialogue.”
In the meantime, the ongoing issues with the city raise the likelihood that Hillsborough County will need to shoulder a larger burden in the final funding plan.
In May, the Rays narrowly secured city of Tampa and Hillsborough County approval on a non-binding memorandum of understanding regarding the stadium. That document outlines a framework in which the Rays will pay $1.3 billion, plus all cost overruns, while taxpayers will contribute no more than $976 million.
But the structure of that $976 million in public funding, and the split between city and county payments, is almost certain to change if and when a final agreement emerges.
Time is also a growing factor, as the Rays intend to complete the funding deal and begin construction later this year in advance of an intended ballpark opening in early 2029.
Despite a $108.4 million luxury-tax payroll that is the third smallest in MLB, the Rays still have the American League’s best record so far this year.
