The Tampa Bay Rays have reached an agreement with the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County to move forward with a new ballpark and a large-scale redevelopment on the site of Tropicana Field.
The deal also includes a development partnership with Hines Historic Gas Plant Partnership, setting the stage for what would become the largest mixed-use development project in Tampa Bay history.
What was approved
The planned ballpark will seat about 30,000 fans for baseball, with capacity to expand to roughly 35,000 for other events.
The Rays will cover more than half of the $1.3 billion ballpark cost and will be responsible for any cost overruns. Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg will contribute about $600M combined, split evenly.
READ THE LATEST ON THE TAMPA BAY RAYS
“This will be a transformative project for the Rays, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County,” team owner Stu Sternberg said in a statement. “We have proudly served as Tampa Bay’s Major League team for 25 years, and we are thrilled to be in a position to do so for decades and generations to come.”
Timeline and construction
Construction is expected to begin in late 2024 and will roll out in two phases.
The Rays will continue playing at the existing Tropicana Field site through the end of their current lease with the city in 2027. Phase one of the development, including the new ballpark, is projected to be ready by opening day 2028.
A broader redevelopment plan
Beyond the stadium, the project represents a more than $6.5B investment in St. Petersburg over 20 years.
“Our transformational development of 86 acres in the heart of St. Petersburg will benefit St. Pete and Tampa Bay residents for generations to come,” St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said in a statement. “The Rays are here to stay and this work is much bigger than baseball.”
The agreement increases the total number of affordable and workforce housing units to 1,200, with at least half located on the Historic Gas Plant site. It also includes on-site affordable units for seniors.
Hines is a privately held real estate developer and manager.
What’s planned for the site
Once fully built, the redevelopment is expected to include:
- 4,800 residential units
- 1,200 affordable and workforce units on and off-site
- 600 senior living units
- 1.4M square feet of office, medical and commercial space
- 750,000 square feet of retail
- 750 hotel rooms
- 100,000 square feet of entertainment space, including a concert venue for up to 4,000 people
- 50,000 square feet of civic space, including a new home for the Carter G. Woodson African American Museum
- 90,000 to 100,000 square feet of conference, ballroom and meeting space
- 14 acres of public open space
- 14,000 parking spaces
The public approval process with Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg is expected to begin this fall.
Editor’s note: Since this article was published, the proposed ballpark and redevelopment deal has fallen through. Check back with TBBW for the latest updates.