The Tampa Bay Rays released four new renderings Monday showing their proposed Hillsborough College ballpark configured for concerts, graduations, youth sports tournaments and combat-sports events.
The illustrations depict the planned 30,000-seat indoor venue hosting major touring acts, university ceremonies, volleyball and cheer competitions, conventions, civic gatherings, boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling. The Rays said it would be the Tampa Bay region’s largest event venue and among the largest in Florida.
“We have said from the beginning that our new ballpark is about more than baseball,” Rays CEO Ken Babby said in a release. “A Forever Home ballpark for the Rays is about creating an economic engine for our region through a steady and vast array of special events.”
The team argues that non-baseball events would generate hotel stays, restaurant traffic, parking revenue, airport activity and transit use while supporting jobs in hospitality, entertainment, security, operations and related services.
Monday’s release comes as the Rays, Hillsborough College, Tampa and Hillsborough County continue working toward a funding agreement for the proposed $2.3 billion ballpark and mixed-use district on the college’s Dale Mabry campus. TBBW reported last week that the project still requires final financing and development agreements, land-use approvals, bond validation and confirmation that the Rays can fund their share before construction can begin.
The project is targeted to open in 2029 and would anchor a 121-acre redevelopment with residential, hotel, retail, commercial and educational space. The Rays project roughly 10 million annual visitors to the district and have cited an independent analysis forecasting $55.5 billion in economic impact over 30 years and 11,900 permanent jobs.
Babby said the ballpark is being designed with flexible seating, club spaces and live-event infrastructure intended to support a year-round calendar.
“One of our missions in designing the new ballpark was to solve a fundamental problem with single-purpose facilities,” Babby said. “With 81 Rays games plus special events, the Forever Home will be active and generating economic value throughout the year.”
“One of our missions in designing the new ballpark was to solve a fundamental problem with single-purpose facilities,” Babby said. “With 81 Rays games plus special events, the Forever Home will be active and generating economic value throughout the year.”