The Tampa Bay Rays, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa have a deal — or at least the framework for one.
Last week, the three parties released a Memorandum of Understanding outlining a $2.3 billion enclosed ballpark and surrounding mixed-use district anchored on the Dale Mabry Campus of Hillsborough College. The non-binding MOU caps the public contribution at $976 million, with the Rays committing more than $1.2 billion plus any cost overruns — what the team is calling the largest private investment by a sports franchise in Florida history.
The Hillsborough County Commission is set to take up the agreement May 20, with the Tampa City Council following May 21. Behind those votes is a June 1 deadline the Rays have set to keep alive their goal of opening a new ballpark by 2029, when the team’s lease at Tropicana Field expires.
I spoke with Rays CEO Ken Babby to talk through…
