Takeaways from Hillsborough's Rays stadium workshop
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Rendering: Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays
The Rays want to finalize a stadium deal by June, but if Thursday's workshop is any indication, that deadline seems optimistic.
Why it matters: With a vote expected in May, commissioners still have more questions than answers about what would be Hillsborough County's largest-ever commitment of tax dollars to a sports stadium.
- Here are a few of our takeaways from the workshop.
📝 There's a laundry list of items that would need to be ironed out before a vote takes place. Among these items: Who would own the planned mixed-use development surrounding the stadium?
- Should the county acquire the new ballpark, it would be exempt from property taxes, meaning most of the county's property tax collections would come from the mixed-use areas.
- If Hillsborough College retains ownership and leases the land to the Rays, the mixed-use development would also be exempt, and the county would stand to lose an estimated $900 million in revenue over 30 years.
- The county also hasn't verified the financial capacity of the Rays' new ownership group — which is important, since the team wants the county to pay its portion of the stadium upfront during construction.
🤔 More clarification is needed to know whether the county's half-cent Community Investment Tax (CIT) can be used to fund the Rays stadium:
- Outside counsel said that nothing in the ballot question or the ordinance that established the tax bars it from being used for a new county-owned stadium.
- But County Attorney Julia Mandell said there's still a question of voter intent — specifically, whether voters understood they were approving a tax that could be used for a new professional sports stadium.
- One resident at Wednesday's board meeting threatened to sue on those grounds if CIT revenue went toward a new stadium. Mandell said she would seek guidance from an election law expert on the matter.
🙅 None of the revenue from the CIT that is earmarked for public safety, utilities or transportation would be diverted to the Rays.
- County Administrator Bonnie Wise said any CIT funds used would come from those set aside for public facilities, like Benchmark International Arena, Raymond James Stadium and Steinbrenner Field.
- Commissioner Ken Hagan (R) noted that the board hasn't yet committed any CIT revenue to a team or organization, so funding the Rays wouldn't technically come at the expense of the Lightning, Bucs or Yankees.