Tampa City Council will hold a special workshop May 5 to review the Tampa Bay Rays’ proposed stadium and surrounding development.
The 5 p.m. meeting at City Hall comes as Hillsborough County continues to evaluate a proposed $2.3 billion deal that includes a new ballpark and a mixed-use district. County officials said last week that no agreement is in place and that several major issues remain unsettled.
The session will include presentations from the Rays and city staff, followed by questions, stakeholder input and public comment. The meeting will not have a set end time.
The Rays are expected to present for about 30 minutes, followed by the city and its Community Redevelopment Agency. Additional stakeholders will have limited time before council discussion.
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Representatives from the Rays organization, including CEO Ken Babby, along with consultants involved in the project’s design and economic analysis, are expected to attend. No representatives from Hillsborough County or the Tampa Sports Authority are currently scheduled to participate.
That absence leaves council without the officials leading negotiations on more than $1 billion in proposed public funding and shifts the focus to the team’s presentation and the city’s review.
During an April 16 City Council meeting, members said they are still gathering information ahead of the workshop and raised concerns about how the proposal’s details have been shared.
Councilman Bill Carlson said he has met with county officials but has not received briefings from the city.
“I met with three or four county commissioners, and nobody from the city ever briefed me on anything,” Carlson said during the meeting.
Council Chair Alan Clendenin said he also was not included in formal negotiations and instead sought out information on his own.
“I was not looped into any kind of briefings or negotiations… that was all me reaching out,” he said.
Councilwoman Lynn Hurtak said the proposal remains in flux and that the focus should be on financing, including bonding and the use of community investment tax revenues.
“For me, it is really a money question,” Hurtak said.
She said the draft framework lacks specificity and that the memorandum of understanding remains incomplete and subject to change.
Councilman Charlie Miranda questioned the long-term financial impact on the city, citing concerns about debt and tax commitments.
“I am not going to support this, no matter what happens,” Miranda said.
The May 5 workshop will not include a vote, but it marks the city’s first public review of the proposal ahead of a future vote.
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