SBJ On Campus: Rays had a Plan B, but Tampa was always Plan A
Throughout the Rays’ decades-long stadium search, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred remained reluctant to give up on the Tampa Bay market.
“Florida is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, and to kind of admit that you couldn’t make a go of it in Florida, I just think it would’ve been a bad thing for the game over the long haul. And I really did believe in the market,” Manfred said. “I thought we picked the right market when we went to Tampa and was just very reluctant to give up on it.”
That belief was rewarded in late August when Tampa and Hillsborough County approved the Rays’ $2.36 billion ballpark deal.
The Rays’ new ownership group, led by managing partner and co-chair Patrick Zalupski and CEO Ken Babby, had made clear to local officials that it wanted to find a solution in Tampa rather than pit the region against other markets. Its plan paired the ballpark with an $8 billion to $10 billion development project centered around the new stadium.
The Deal
- Location: The stadium will be located near the Tampa Riverwalk, just east of downtown Tampa.
- Cost: The total cost of the project is estimated at $2.36 billion, with Hillsborough County contributing $750 million and private investors covering the remainder.
- Development: A massive $8 billion to $10 billion development will surround the stadium, featuring residential, retail, and office spaces.