TAMPA, Fla. -- The Rays on Thursday released the first renderings of their proposed ballpark and mixed-use district on the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College.
The images, depicting the exterior of the stadium as well as a “Champions Quarter” neighborhood and a reimagined Hillsborough College building, offer what the club called an “early look at a vision for the site” that “will continue to evolve based on further study of the site and ballpark design concepts, as well as input from local leaders and residents.”
On Jan. 20, the Hillsborough College Board of Trustees approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Rays to redevelop the Dale Mabry campus -- located across the street from Raymond James Stadium and adjacent to George M. Steinbrenner Field -- as part of a new ballpark district.
On Tuesday, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced their support for the project, with both stating their belief that “baseball belongs in Tampa Bay.” And the Hillsborough County Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to begin negotiations with the Rays regarding ballpark funding.
Thursday was the next step in the process, with the Rays now giving a glimpse of what they have in mind for a new ballpark and the surrounding development.
"I’m incredibly grateful for what our organization and the Tampa community have accomplished in just over 100 days since acquiring the team, and of the progress we are making together toward a forever home for the Rays and our loyal fans," Rays managing partner Patrick Zalupski said in a statement. “Hillsborough County’s unanimous vote is a significant milestone and a clear signal that Tampa is serious about keeping Major League Baseball in this region and transforming Tampa Bay for generations to come.”
According to the Rays, the ballpark will have an estimated capacity of 31,000, which would be the lowest for any permanent home stadium in the Majors. The club says the ballpark would offer diverse seating, celebration areas and year-round event spaces.
The Rays on Thursday also unveiled a new website, NewBallpark.RaysBaseball.com, with more information about the project and the opportunity to secure early access seating for a $19.98 deposit.
The Rays are planning a series of community engagement sessions across Hillsborough County in the coming weeks alongside the college and local officials. The club announced that details on those sessions will be announced soon, but they are designed to give fans, students, faculty, residents and local leaders an opportunity to review their plans, ask questions and provide feedback.
“We are moving into the next phase of this process with excellent momentum, thanks to the outstanding support of community leaders and our staff and partners here at the Tampa Bay Rays,” Rays CEO Ken Babby said in a statement. “We’re proud to share our bold and dynamic vision for the ballpark, and believe strongly in its ability to benefit the team and our fans, Hillsborough College, the surrounding neighborhoods and the entire region.
“Our community can be assured, however, that we want the ballpark and district design to reflect the voices of the people who live, work, study, and operate businesses here. In that spirit, we look forward to meeting and listening to as many people from across Tampa Bay as we can in the weeks ahead.”
In a press release revealing the initial renderings, the Rays reiterated that they view the ballpark project as a public-private partnership, with costs shared by the team, the county and the city of Tampa, but the mixed-use development will be “100 percent privately financed.”
A document posted by Hillsborough County Commission chair Ken Hagan’s office earlier this week noted that the Rays have “expressed their interest to bear a minimum of 50% of the cost of the construction of the ballpark” while covering all cost overruns, ballpark repairs and maintenance and future capital improvements.
Citing estimates from an independent economic analysis by RCLCO, the Rays said the broader development will generate $34 billion in total economic impact over 30 years while supporting 11,900 new jobs and attracting 10 million annual visitors to the campus and district once they are fully built out.
The club’s partnership with Hillsborough College, if made official within the 180-day window to exclusively negotiate and vote on a final agreement, would be designed to improve the campus’ facilities, expand workforce development and provide opportunities for more than 45,000 students, according to the team.
The Rays said they are “consulting closely with a broad coalition” of partners, stakeholders and regional sports teams, including the Yankees, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tampa Bay Lightning and Tampa International Airport, as well as Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, and Hillsborough County Public Schools; design, engineering, and development partners including Populous, Gensler, Kimley-Horn, RCLCO, Beck, Walter P Moore, Terracon and ME Engineers; legal, finance and advisory partners including Shubin Law Group, Foley & Lardner LLP, The Southern Group, Mercury, VOX Global, FleishmanHillard, CSL, and Tipping Point Sports.