TAMPA, Fla.—The Tampa Bay Rays today released initial renderings of the proposed ballpark and mixed-use district at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus.
The images offer an early look at a vision for the site and will continue to evolve based on further study of the site and ballpark design concepts, as well as input from local leaders and residents.
"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," said Patrick Zalupski, Managing Partner of the Tampa Bay Rays. “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."
“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,” added Ken Babby, Chief Executive Officer of the Tampa Bay Rays. “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.”
To date, the Hillsborough College Board of Trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rays to redevelop the Dale Mabry campus as part of a new ballpark district, and the Hillsborough County Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to begin negotiations with the Rays on proposed ballpark funding. The plan and partnership with Hillsborough College are designed to improve campus facilities, expand workforce development, curriculum and internship opportunities for more than 45,000 students, and reinforce the site as a key driver of regional growth.
The project is envisioned as a public–private partnership, with ballpark costs shared between the team, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa. The broader, multi-billion-dollar, mixed-use development will be 100 percent privately financed.
A recent independent economic analysis projects that the mixed-use development will generate $34 billion in total economic impact, support 11,900 new permanent jobs, only made possible due to the project, and attract approximately 10 million annual visitors to the campus and surrounding district once fully built out – on par with annual attendance at a major U.S. theme park.
The Rays and Hillsborough College are consulting closely with a broad coalition of project partners and stakeholders, including 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; and regional sports and civic stakeholders including the Tampa Bay Lightning, the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Tampa International Airport.
In the coming weeks, the Rays, Hillsborough College, and local officials will host a series of community engagement sessions across the county. These meetings will give baseball fans, Hillsborough College students and faculty, nearby residents, and community and business leaders opportunities to review the evolving concepts, ask questions, and share feedback that will help shape the final design. Details on dates, times, and locations for these sessions will be announced shortly.
Rays fans and the community can learn more about the project and make a $19.98 deposit to secure early access to seating in the new ballpark by visiting NewBallpark.RaysBaseball.com.