All articles tagged with #hillsborough county
Rays CEO Ken Babby says Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commission are poised to approve a $2.3 billion ballpark deal, after concessions that increase the Rays’ share and annual rent; the county would own the stadium, which is tied to a large private mixed-use district funded by private investment, with a 2029 opening and a bond-validation process to come.
Two Hillsborough County commissioners who previously backed the Rays stadium deal now question it, potentially upending the pact as the financing structure shifts: the city would lend $80 million and the Rays would borrow about $100 million, to be repaid with property‑tax revenues from a surrounding mixed‑use development. Commissioner Chris Boles says there’s no guaranteed county revenue and seeks written assurances on the development piece, while Commissioner Christine Miller questions the city’s share and warns of possible exposure (up to $380 million) after a related land‑use change stalled. With votes looming next week, the changing terms and political dynamics add new uncertainty to the deal.
Florida has reported 10 locally acquired dengue cases this year—eight in Hillsborough County and two in Pinellas County—marking the first local transmission in Pinellas in 15 years. Dengue fever is mosquito‑borne and can cause fever, rash and severe body pains; most U.S. cases come from travelers, but local transmission can occur when an infected traveler introduces the virus to local Aedes mosquitoes. The CDC advises protective clothing and insect repellent and authorities continue mosquito-control efforts to prevent further spread.
Hillsborough County and Tampa officials are close to scheduling definitive votes on the Rays’ $2.3 billion stadium at Dale Mabry, with the City Council slated to vote first and a potential Friday county session discussed; County Commissioner Ken Hagan says votes could be set for next week and, if approved, officials aim to have shovels in the ground by September.
The Rays named AECOM Hunt/Turner to build a $2.3 billion stadium on Hillsborough College campus, with construction potentially starting this fall and a 2029 opening target, pending city and county financing approvals. AECOM Hunt, which remodeled Tropicana Field, led a four-bid process with Mortenson Beck finishing second. The project faces a tight 31-month timeline that hinges on finalized financing, approvals, weather, and supply-chain considerations, and the final design and budget are not yet locked in, though an indoor-outdoor, glass-walled concept remains the goal.
Tampa General Hospital announced the nation’s first EMS-driven drone program to deliver whole blood to the scene, aiming to cut on-scene transfusion times to under three minutes over a 70-square-mile area in Hillsborough County. The initiative, a collaboration with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue, USF Health, OneBlood and Archer First Response Systems, allows first responders to begin transfusions at the scene, potentially improving survival in hemorrhagic trauma. The pilot will operate from two Fire Rescue stations (9 and 37) with plans to expand, and is slated to go online in October 2026 pending Hillsborough County Commission approval.
Faizon Love, the actor known for Elf, was arrested in Hillsborough County, Florida on two contempt of court charges for missing a child-support hearing and is being held without bond; he is expected to appear in a Hillsborough County court Friday as part of an outstanding warrant, with TMZ reporting the missed hearing and officials not confirming how much back child support is owed.
Hillsborough County will assess how Gov. DeSantis’ property-tax plan—boosting the homestead exemption and capping commercial property at 5%—could affect finances as the county negotiates a Rays stadium deal; Commissioner Chris Boles pushes for questions on long-term exposure, reserves, taxpayer protections, and the enforceability of private commitments, noting a $103 million rainy-day fund within a proposed $976 million public contribution and the potential need to revisit financial templates.
Rays CEO Ken Babby said there will be no reopening of the deal’s economics and no further concessions in finalizing the $2.3 billion domed stadium plan; the framework stays the same with about $976 million in public funds (county $796 million, city $180 million) and the Rays covering roughly 55% of project costs plus overruns, plus their ongoing maintenance obligations. The Community Investment Tax funding remains a key component, the Rays have raised their total investment to over $1.2 billion, and officials plan to draft definitive documents for final votes as they push to move the project forward.
The Rays released a non-binding memorandum of understanding outlining a $967 million public contribution toward a $2.3 billion stadium, a shift from the prior $1.065 billion subsidy. The MOU comes ahead of anticipated votes by the Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commissioners and a June 1 deadline for definitive agreements. If approved, the deal would help secure state funding to redevelop the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College and advance a privately financed development, though state lawmakers say funding should wait for local agreements.
Authorities say a body was found near the Florida bridge, the same site where one of two missing University of South Florida graduate students had been found days earlier, as investigators with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office announced a man barricaded inside a Lake Forest home and was taken into custody in connection with the case.
Prosecutors released new evidence in the killing of Zamil Limon, a University of South Florida doctoral student, including a timeline of events surrounding his death and the disappearance of his friend Nahida Bristy. Limon died from multiple sharp-force injuries and his body was found on the Howard Frankland Bridge; his roommate, Hisham Abugharbieh, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder as Bristy remains missing. The prosecution argues Abugharbieh poses a danger to the community and should remain jailed pending trial, noting shifting accounts during interrogations and inconsistencies about their movements. Investigators have recovered human remains from waterways south of the bridge, but Bristy’s fate remains unresolved.
Remains found in connection with the disappearance of a University of South Florida student led to murder charges against her roommate. Authorities note the suspect has prior arrests, and the investigation continues as the search for the missing student Bristy goes on, with the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office seeking information.
County Administrator Bonnie Wise told commissioners that money from the Community Investment Tax and other reserves will likely be needed to cover the Rays’ proposed public share for a new ballpark, as officials review a non-binding memorandum of understanding and assess funding, infrastructure, and land-use questions before any public funds are spent and deals are finalized.
The Rays released initial renderings for a 31,000-seat, roofed stadium at the Hillsborough College site as part of a privately financed live/work/learn/play complex aiming for a 2029 opening; the team plans $19.98 deposits for early seating access, with county funding discussions and broad community input as designs evolve.