The Tampa Bay Rays have released renderings showcasing a proposed megaproject stadium at the center of a sprawling mixed-use development.
On March 2, the team released a video showcasing a new ballpark, which it dubbed its “forever home,” to be located on about 130 acres in the Westshore District of Tampa, Florida, and Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus.
The new $2.3 billion ballpark would sit across from Raymond James Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s also adjacent to Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of Rays’ divisional rival New York Yankees, local outlet Bay News 9 reported.
The team said it would pay for 50% of the stadium cost, but the rest would have to come from Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa, ESPN reported.
On its team website, the Rays outlined how the 31,000-seat venue would serve as the anchor for a “walkable, retail-rich district” complete with open spaces, parks and shopping areas. The Rays say the construction of the whole mixed-use area could create over 39,000 construction jobs, using estimates from Bethesda, Maryland-based real estate consulting firm RCLCO.
The jobs estimate significantly more than other recent stadium builds. The Buffalo Bills stadium in Orchard Park, New York, for example, has created approximately 10,000 jobs. But the Rays’ proposed project would also include the mixed-use aspect.
San Francisco-based Gensler is serving as the master plan architect for the entire project, while Kansas City, Missouri-based Populous will design the stadium.
The wind up
In January, the Hillsborough College District Board of Trustees unanimously approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding with the Rays, MLB.com reported.
That signified the first step toward securing a new home field for the Rays beginning with the 2029 season. The memorandum included a 180-day window to exclusively negotiate and vote on a final agreement covering a new MLB stadium, a mixed-use development and new facilities for Hillsborough College, according to MLB.com.
A Feb. 24 vote from Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet transferred 22 acres of state land to Hillsborough College for the Rays to build that new ballpark, Axios reported. As a condition of the vote, the land must be used for a stadium and mixed-use development within five years, or Florida can take the land back.
Rain delays
The current proposal is not a done deal. In the fall of 2024, Hurricane Milton damaged the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, where the Rays have played their home games since 1998. During the 2025 season, the Rays instead hosted games at Steinbrenner Field.
The Trop, which is nearing the completion of a $59.7 million repair and renovation following that damage, is on track to be ready for the Rays’ 2026 home opener against the Chicago Cubs on April 6, per St. Pete Rising. The team is under contract to play its home games there through 2028.
Previous project plans
The Rays had planned a permanent move from Tropicana Field well before Hurricane Milton, and the renderings released last week are not their first swing at a new build.
Pinellas County commissioners had approved public financing for a new, $1.3 billion Rays stadium in 2024. That project would have centered on a $6.5 billion redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant property in St. Petersburg. Skanska USA Building was set to manage construction of the overall project, as well as to serve as the owner’s rep for the stadium.
The damage by Hurricane Milton to the Trop and the Tampa region at large, however, created too big a hurdle for the Gas Plant project. Pinellas commissioners voted in July 2025 to delay the approval of bonds for that stadium, citing economic uncertainties for the future brought on by the need to repair Tropicana Field.
In March 2025, the Rays exited that $1.3 billion stadium deal, with team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman saying the delay in funding for new construction had put the timeline in jeopardy.
Public opposition
The proposed new stadium across from Raymond James is the team’s latest foray into building a new home. At the first public forum meeting about the proposed ballpark March 3, Hillsborough College students raised concerns about the impact of traffic an additional stadium and construction could bring to the area, Bay News 9 reported.
Members of the Tampa Sports Authority also raised concerns about the massive project and its eye-popping price-tag.
“If it gets built, I don’t think the Rays want to pay one dime in taxes on a $2.3 billion stadium,” said sports authority board member Joseph Robinson, according to Bay News 9.
The Rays and the sports authority didn’t immediately respond to Construction Dive’s requests for comment.
