ST. PETERSBURG -- Tampa Bay Rays co-president Matt Silverman says there's a sense of relief and "euphoria" at the office, now that Pinellas County Commissioners have put the last piece in place to fund the Rays stadium and redevelopment project at the current site of Tropicana Field.
The more than a decade-long saga to arrange construction of a new home for the Rays reached the finish line Tuesday, when Pinellas commissioners voted 5-2 to use more than $300 million in tourist tax revenue to bond their share of ballpark building costs. The ballpark is the centerpiece of the redevelopment of the 86-acre Tropicana Field site. Officials with the Rays, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County call the Gas Plant project, named for the historically Black neighborhood that was torn down to build the Trop, the most significant economic development project in Tampa Bay history.
The process becomes more real when ceremonial groundbreaking takes place, set for early January. After that come three years of construction, with the new ballpark set to open in time for Opening Day in 2028. Later this year, the Rays should be able to
Co-president Brian Auld says the deal is literally a "game changer," as it will lead to more season ticket sales and corporate partnerships, which will increase revenue. He also thinks it will lead to a greater sense of permanence in the Rays organization. "You might see some folks (making) down payments on permanent homes... in a way that wasn't happening before," Auld told reporters Wednesday.
Silverman says up till now, the Rays have had little margin for error but have managed to be the 3rd winningest team in baseball nonetheless. He adds the deal with help the Rays "predict (revenues) more confidently" as well as how they'll be invested in the team's payroll. "With increased revenues, with greater attendance and support, comes a little bit more room to us to be able to maneuver some long-term decision making." The Rays made news leading up to the commission vote by trading away some well-known players, including Randy Arozarena and Isaac Paredes.
The ballpark is only part of expectations for the Gas Plant site, which include affordable housing, jobs both during and after construction, and economic opportunities for the descendants of those forced to move in the 1980s for construction of the original stadium.
Photo: Rays/Hines/Populous (rendering of inside of proposed new ballpark)
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