The Tampa Bay Rays have signed a nonbinding memorandum of agreement with Hillsborough College to build a multiuse facility on a 113-acre site along Dale Mabry Boulevard in Tampa. The proposed site is across from Raymond James Stadium, home of the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and near George M. Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees' spring training venue.
Few details have been released, but the team has indicated it wants a roof to protect against Florida's rainy season and humidity. The agreement includes a six-month window for negotiations, and the Rays are continuing talks with Tampa officials to finalise the deal.
The new proposal comes after the Rays withdrew from a $1.3 billion stadium project with St. Petersburg in March 2024, citing delays caused by Hurricane Milton, which tore the roof of Tropicana Field in October 2024. The damage forced the team to play the entire 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field, where attendance dropped to 786,750 from 1.34 million in 2024.
The Rays are under lease at Tropicana Field through at least the 2028 season and are expected to return there for 2026 after repairs. The new ownership group, led by CEO Ken Babby, aims to create a mixed-use development similar to Truist Park in Atlanta, with shops, dining, and residential spaces. Babby said there is still much work to be done but expressed confidence in creating a world-class development.
