Rays unveil community benefits plan as Tampa, Hillsborough weigh $2.3B stadium deal

TAMPA, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays have released a proposed Community Benefits and Legacy Plan outlining how the team says it would invest in the Bay Area community if its proposed new stadium and surrounding development move forward.

Tampa Bay Rays stadium project

The backstory:

The plan comes as Tampa and Hillsborough County prepare to vote this week on the latest agreement for the $2.3 billion Rays stadium project at the Hillsborough College North Dale Mabry campus. 

PREVIOUS: Rays stadium deal: Tampa and Hillsborough votes set for this week

The proposed community benefits plan is intended to ensure the project produces benefits beyond the stadium itself, including for residents, businesses, students and neighborhoods throughout Tampa and Hillsborough County.

Rays community benefits plan

What we know:

The Rays' proposed community benefits plan includes initiatives involving:

• Affordable and attainable housing
• Anti-displacement efforts
• Home repairs and tenant stability
• Transportation and mobility improvements
• Local hiring and workforce development
• Minority- and women-owned business participation
• Youth sports and community fields
• Literacy programs
• Veterans' engagement
• Family ticket access
• Health and wellness initiatives
• Public safety partnerships
• Community accountability and reporting

‘More than baseball’

What they're saying:

Rays CEO Ken Babby said the team wants the project to be about more than baseball.

"This Community Benefits and Legacy Plan, as proposed, will positively impact our entire region above and beyond the many benefits that will be produced by the ballpark, the reimagined Hillsborough College campus, and privately financed mixed-use district. It was driven by the Rays and Hillsborough County, with significant support from the city of Tampa. We all believe in the potential of Tampa Bay and care deeply about our friends and neighbors who live and work here, and that sentiment inspired the process to arrive at the proposal we are sharing today," Babby said. "In the end, this proposal is more than a plan or agreement. It’s a lasting investment and commitment to our region that the Tampa Bay Rays are proud to make, and we now look forward to continued community engagement to ensure this proposal can become reality and make a meaningful difference for a long time to come." 

Affordable housing proposals

Affordable and attainable housing is one of the plan's major priorities. Some of the affordable housing initiatives could include preserving and rehabilitating existing homes, building new housing and offering homeownership assistance.

The document says the goal is to support long-term affordability and resident stability, while helping residents remain connected to jobs, schools, transportation and other services.

However, the plan does not yet identify a funding amount, number of affordable units or a timeline. It also specifies that any affordable housing initiatives funded or supported through the agreement would be located outside the ballpark district, elsewhere in Hillsborough County and Tampa.

Hillsborough College redevelopment

Why you should care:

The proposed stadium would transform the Hillsborough College North Dale Mabry campus, which has been described as a civic anchor for the surrounding community.

Current plans call for an innovation zone with new academic buildings and reconfigured spaces designed to create a more connected, mixed-use campus. The redevelopment could also create opportunities for internships, workforce development and educational programs tied to the Rays and businesses expected to locate around the stadium. 

The Rays' new community benefits plan builds on that vision by proposing workforce programs connecting residents, students, returning citizens and others facing barriers to employment with careers in sports, hospitality, construction, technology, media and business operations.

The plan also calls for opportunities for small, local, economically disadvantaged and minority- and women-owned businesses.

Stadium district traffic improvements

Dig deeper:

The Rays are proposing to work with Hillsborough County, Tampa, the state, the Florida Department of Transportation, the Hillsborough Transit Authority and other transportation partners on improvements around the stadium and surrounding neighborhoods.

That could include coordination involving:

• Roadways
• Traffic signals
• Pedestrian infrastructure
• Bicycle infrastructure
• Transportation safety
• First-mile and last-mile connections

The team also plans to work with government partners to pursue available state and federal transportation funding.

Transportation could become an important component of the development as the stadium is built alongside a larger mixed-use district.

The Rays previously released plans for a roughly 100-acre development surrounding the proposed ballpark, with restaurants, businesses and other uses planned around the stadium. 

Expanding Rays' community work

The proposed plan would expand several programs the Rays already operate in the region.

The team is proposing additional youth sports programming, improvements to community fields and expanded literacy initiatives through Reading with the Rays.

It would also provide affordable or complimentary ticket opportunities for families and community organizations.

Veterans and disabled veterans, health and wellness initiatives, public safety partnerships and continued engagement with labor organizations are also included.

Rays propose community accountability

The Rays are proposing a Community Benefits Advisory Committee and regular public reporting to track the plan's progress.

A proposed Community Report Card would show progress toward the commitments and provide information about where programs are operating and who is being served.

Under the proposed plan, 65% of the benefits would be directed to Hillsborough County and 35% to the city of Tampa.

The final obligations, implementation schedules, reporting requirements and enforceable terms would ultimately be established through the project's definitive agreements.

Local government vote timeline

What's next:

The community benefits proposal comes at a pivotal point in the stadium negotiations.

Tampa City Council is scheduled to consider the stadium proposal Thursday, followed by a Hillsborough County Commission vote Friday. 

If both governments approve the agreement, the Rays could move toward construction of the new ballpark, which the team has said needs to begin this fall to meet a targeted April 2029 Opening Day. 

The proposed plan is tied to three major components of the development: the new Rays ballpark, the reimagined Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus and a privately financed mixed-use district surrounding the stadium.

The latest stadium agreement establishes a financial framework in which Hillsborough County would be responsible for approximately $800 million, while the city of Tampa would contribute $80 million. The Rays would cover a little more than half of the estimated project cost. 

The deal is not guaranteed. At least two county commissioners have expressed reservations, and additional procedural votes would still be required after the city and county establish the main terms of the agreement. 

The proposed Community Benefits and Legacy Plan is awaiting feedback from Hillsborough County, Tampa and the community as the stadium agreement moves toward its next major votes.

Plan terms

What we don't know:

The plan does not provide concrete targets for how much money would be invested, how many affordable housing units could be created or preserved, or how many jobs it would generate within the development and elsewhere in Tampa and Hillsborough County.

Those unanswered questions are likely to be part of the debate this week, as Tampa City Council members and Hillsborough County commissioners consider whether to approve the stadium deal.