Hillsborough County seals $2.3B Rays stadium deal, clearing path for 2029 construction

Key points

• Hillsborough County Commission voted 5-2 to approve the definitive stadium agreement, with Commissioners Boles, Cohen, Hagan, Miller, and Myers voting yes, while Cameron Cepeda and Wostal voted no.
• The county's $796 million contribution includes $360 million from the Community Investment Tax, $303 million from the Tourist Development Tax, $103 million from the main county account, and $30 million from federal disaster relief funds.
• Tampa City Council previously approved an $80 million loan to the Rays, to be repaid through revenue from the surrounding mixed-use development, with interest costs estimated between $40 million and $50 million.
• The project aims to break ground in September 2026, with demolition in December and foundation work in March 2027, targeting completion for the 2029 MLB season.
• A critical deadline is June 30, 2027, by which a Community Development District must be established to repay the city's loan, or the Rays may terminate the deal.

Background

This approval concludes a decades-long effort by Tampa to secure a Major League Baseball team, following the loss of a previous team to St. Petersburg. The current deal follows a nonbinding agreement approved in May 2026 and an ownership change to a group led by Patrick Zalupski in October 2025. The stadium will replace the current Tropicana Field, whose lease expires in 2028.

How outlets are covering it

Proponents, including Commissioner Ken Hagan and Rays CEO Ken Babby, framed the vote as a historic opportunity to make Tampa a 'world-class' community and secure the team's long-term future. Opponents, such as Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda, criticized the deal as an 'irresponsible use of taxpayer dollars,' noting that her primary opponent had received a $5,000 donation from the Rays. Commissioners Chris Boles and Christine Miller, who initially questioned the city's funding share and the rushed timeline, ultimately voted in favor, citing the need to support the project despite earlier concerns. FOX 13 highlighted public debate over whether billionaires should subsidize their own stadiums, while Axios emphasized the risk of the deal unraveling, similar to the St. Petersburg stadium project, if the June 2027 deadline is missed.

Why it matters

The approval clears the path for the largest taxpayer-funded sports stadium project in the region's history, potentially transforming the Hillsborough College campus into a mixed-use district. It secures the Rays' presence in Tampa Bay through the 2060s and aims to stimulate economic development, though it carries financial risks for the county and city if revenue projections are not met.

What to watch

The County Commission and City Council must approve interlocal agreements by December 16 and 17, 2026, respectively. A Community Development District must be established by June 30, 2027, to ensure the city's loan repayment. Construction is scheduled to begin in September 2026, with the stadium targeted for Opening Day in April 2029.