Pinellas County commissioners decided to give over $300 million for a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays.
This vote was a big step in the Rays’ long journey to get a new stadium.
But, the real cost to taxpayers might be much higher than $300 million.
Details of the Funding:
The whole project, including the stadium and Gas Plant, will need $6.5 billion from both public and private money. The stadium alone is expected to cost about $1.3 billion. The Rays will pay $700 million plus any extra costs that come up. The city and county will cover hundreds of millions more by selling bonds that will gather interest over time.
The Rays shared their excitement through a video featuring Evan Longoria and some memorable moments:
Another new era is on the horizon.
For St. Petersburg, for Tampa Bay and for Rays fans – the future is bright!
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball)
“This is quite a momentous day for our franchise, our fans and the entire Tampa Bay region – the Rays are here to stay in St. Petersburg,” said team owner Stuart Sternberg. “We look forward to building the best neighborhood ballpark in Major League Baseball.”
Stadium Plans:
The new ballpark will hold 30,000 people for baseball games and have a sloped roof like Tropicana Stadium. There will also be events year-round , not just baseball games. Around it, there will be 5,400 homes, 750 hotel rooms, lots of office space, shops, a museum, an entertainment venue with up to 6,000 seats and plenty of green space.
Fans might think this is great news for local businesses too!
As part of this deal, the Rays promised $50 million for community benefits like job training and helping small businesses grow. They also aim to hire disadvantaged workers and support local entrepreneurs.
The Journey So Far:
The path to this new stadium has been full of twists and turns with many threats about moving away that never happened. At one point Brian Auld said they would leave if forced to change their name or if full-season baseball couldn’t work in Tampa Bay.
Turns out keeping them here just needed lots of public money!
What do you think about all these changes?
