The drama surrounding the next home of the Tampa Bay Rays appears to be hitting the final stretch, as Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reported Monday morning that the team is expected to announce Tuesday that their new stadium will be built on the Tropicana Field site and be ready for play starting in 2028.
BREAKING: #Rays set to announce deal for new stadium in St. Pete https://t.co/A23GDAhwVj
— Marc Topkin (@TBTimes_Rays) September 18, 2023
While there was a period of time where the team was allowed to look at building a new venue in the city of Tampa, that windows closed in 2018 with no potential deal, which shifted the team’s focus back to the site they’ve played on since the team’s inception in 1998. Earlier this year, the team, in collaboration with global development firm Hines, submitted a proposal for redeveloping the 86 acre site the stadium currently sits on, to include a new fixed-roof ballpark, a smaller music venue, new parking structures, and green spaces along with new residential and retail spaces.
There has been no confirmation from the team about specifics on the announcement.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
