Rays stadium plan faces key vote with planned January 2025 construction just months away

Plans for a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays continue to inch along, albeit at a slower pace than the franchise would prefer.

In May, the Rays released renderings of the planned stadium, which would replace Tropicana Field on the same site as the Rays’ current home. That followed a September 2023 agreement with the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County on a $1.3 billion ballpark to serve as the centerpiece of the $6.5 billion revitalization of the Historic Gas Plant District.

Initially, the Rays planned on beginning construction in January 2025, intending to play in the park by Opening Day 2028. January 2025 is less than six months away, yet the St. Petersburg City Council still has not finalized the deal.

Recent documents show that the district’s redevelopment would include a grocery store and day care center, according to NewsChannel 8 reporting. According to WTSP, the grocery store would be required to be at least 10,000 square feet. Initially, the grocery store was listed as a development goal instead of a requirement.

Other scheduled features of the development include at least 600 units of affordable housing, an entertainment district with restaurants, shops and hotels, and an African American History Museum.

The St. Petersburg City Council is scheduled to discuss the changes to the agreement on Tuesday, with a vote on the plan scheduled for Thursday.

The Rays selected Mortenson as the contractor for the construction of the ballpark.

If the plan is approved, the Rays will pay for $770 million of the costs, with $312.5 million coming from Pinellas County and $287.5 million coming from the city of St. Petersburg, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The Rays would also be on the hook for any cost overruns.

The Rays have played in Tropicana Field since they joined Major League Baseball in 1998. The stadium has generally been considered one of the worst environments in the big leagues. A 2023 Sports Illustrated story ranked “The Trop” as the worst stadium in the Majors. Earlier this year, USA Today ranked it 29th out of 30, ahead of only the Oakland Coliseum, which has fallen into disrepair since the A’s announced the franchise’s intentions to move to Las Vegas.

Should the City Council fail to approve the updated plan, the Rays would be forced back to the drawing board, and potentially be forced to play in Tropicana Field an extra year if plans are not approved in time to complete the new stadium before the start of the 2028 season.