Crucial agreement made in Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal in Tampa, votes next week
TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays, the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County reached an agreement on a $2.3 billion ballpark proposal located at the site of Hillsborough College.
Tampa Bay Rays Stadium Financing
What we know:
The proposed $2.3 billion development would sit on the Hillsborough College site directly across from Raymond James Stadium, with the Rays contributing just over half of the total costs.
Under the terms of the deal, the city faces an $180 million commitment, while Hillsborough County would provide nearly $800 million.
City leaders restructured an $80 million portion of Tampa's commitment to allow local officials to review the public proposal online ahead of scheduled votes next week.
City Council Revenue Sharing Plan
What they're saying:
Tampa City Council Chair Alan Clendenin expressed confidence that the council has enough votes to pass the measure due to the inclusion of a revenue-sharing pitch from Councilman Bill Carlson.
"What I was trying to do is build consensus around the community," Carlson said. "I personally am not a baseball fan, my friends and family are. But what I know is that the citizens of the community want solutions for our roads and flooding and parks and sidewalks. And part of that solution that we came up with was... To create a fund that potentially would be up to $2 billion over 35 years for parks and roads and flooding and other things without raising taxes."
While Tampa Mayor Jane Castor called the deal a "historic step forward for Tampa and our entire region" in a social media post.
Tampa Bay Rays Response
Local perspective:
The Tampa Bay Rays released the following statement in support of the agreement.
"Together with Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa, we’ve taken some big steps this year to make a Forever Home for the Rays in our region a reality – but none bigger than the one we are taking today," Babby said. "Today, due to the remarkable determination of many throughout this process, we have definitive documents that will serve as the framework to deliver a new ballpark, a reimagined Hillsborough College campus, and a privately financed neighborhood where we can all work, live, learn, and play.
"These terms – if approved – will deliver exceptional benefits and protections to the community well above and beyond the initial memorandum of understanding, thanks to the officials and staff at Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa. The Rays are grateful for their diligence over the past nine months, and especially thankful for their ideas and feedback. It’s the kind of community leadership we should all applaud and appreciate. We listened, and the result of our collaboration is a deal that improved each week for the public, is fair for all involved, and supports our goals.
"We will continue to have discussions with stakeholders as we look forward to the upcoming votes by the Hillsborough County Commission and Tampa City Council that will determine the outcome of our collective efforts. The commitment by the Tampa Bay Rays to this lifetime opportunity is absolute, with record private investment and guarantees that will secure the future of Major League Baseball for our region and leave no doubt that Tampa Bay is a world-class destination by any measure."
Upcoming votes
What's next:
There are two votes scheduled for next week to go over this agreement.
The City of Tampa will hold their vote on August 27.
Hillsborough County commissioners will vote on August 28.
The Source: FOX 13's Aaron Mesmer gathered this information from Tampa city leaders, Chair Alan Clendenin and Councilman Bill Carlson, as well as documents from next week's city council agenda.