Rays offer first look at proposed ballpark, mixed-use district
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Rendering: Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays unveiled on Thursday renderings of their proposed stadium and mixed-use district at Hillsborough College.
Why it matters: It is the first look at what fans and taxpayers might be buying into, and explains the $2.3 billion price tag that the team has floated.
Driving the news: The Rays intend to cover at least half of the new stadium's cost, not including surrounding development.
- A public-private partnership with Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa would presumably front the rest of that cost.
- The Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously on Wednesday to continue talks over a new ballpark for the Rays, but there is already a divide about how it might be funded.
Zoom in: The stadium and mixed-use district would be built on the college's 113-acre Dale Mabry campus, bounded by West Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, North Lois Avenue and West Tampa Bay Boulevard.
- Hillsborough College's academic buildings would be razed and rebuilt on a southwest parcel facing North Lois Avenue, with a request filed to the state Legislature for $50 million to cover construction costs.
- The mixed-use district may consist of hotels, retail space, restrauants and parking structures. The aesthetic of the ballpark, mixed-use district and reimagined college would be under the team's purview.
What's next: The Rays plan to host a series of countywide events where the public can weigh in on the final design. No details have been announced yet.
Editor's note: This is a developing story and will be updated.