(St. Petersburg) The Tampa Bay Rays were putting the finishing touches Tuesday on a deal that will allow them to build a 30,000-seat stadium that will be part of a mega-real estate project valued at 6.5 billion US dollars in St. Petersburg and which will include low-income housing, stores, bars, restaurants and a black history museum.
This 34-hectare field is located near what is now Tropicana Field. This stadium, equipped with a dome, will be demolished after the construction of the new building, which will open its doors in time for the start of the 2028 season, said Brian Auld, the co-president of the Rays, in an interview Monday.
The plan, which must still overcome several political and financial obstacles to obtain the green light for its construction, would allow the Rays to remain in St. Petersburg in the medium or long term, after numerous rumors had circulated in recent years about a possible shared custody with Montreal, or a move to Tampa, or Nashville, Tennessee.
“We’ll be here for a very long time,” Auld noted. We are all very pleased that for the first time since this process began, the path is finally being paved to allow the Rays to remain in Tampa Bay for generations to come. »
The announcement of the construction of a new baseball stadium, and the mega real estate project, was made Tuesday on the grounds of Tropicana Field.
“I’m so happy the Rays are here to stay. Finally!, exclaimed Janet Long, chairwoman of the Pinellas County Commission, who noted that this was the largest economic development project in the history of the county. This project is a circuit, which goes beyond sport. »
The Rays have played in St. Petersburg since their first major league season in 1998. The “Trop”, the nickname of the Rays’ current home, is criticized for being damp, outdated and having roof support beams that are sometimes impacted by balloons. It cost $138 million to build in 1990, with the goal of attracting a Major League Baseball franchise.
The new stadium alone will cost $1.3 billion, executives said, and nearly half of the bill will be covered by the Rays – the other half being covered by the city and local governments – according to co-president Matt Silverman . The structure will have a roof to protect against rain and the Florida heat, but it will be discreet and equipped with doors and windows to allow air circulation during the cooler months of the season.
“It will be the smallest stadium in Major League Baseball. A roof is necessary, although we also want some privacy,” Silverman noted.
Pinellas County leaders have indicated that their share of the bill will be absorbed by a hotel tax that will be imposed on tourists.
The Rays (92-59, second in the American League East) qualified for the playoffs on Saturday. This will be their fifth straight playoff appearance, despite boasting the worst crowd average in the major leagues at 17,778 per game, according to MLB.
