Images: Tampa Bay Rays/Populous
The Tampa Bay Rays have taken a “huge step forward” towards ending their near two-decade search for a new ballpark after St. Petersburg City Council approved the $6.5bn (£5.03bn/€5.97bn) Historic Gas Plant District Redevelopment scheme.
Yesterday’s (Thursday’s) 5-3 vote means there now remains just one final step needed to make the project a reality, with Pinellas County Commission set to vote on stadium-related agreements on July 30.
Yesterday’s announcement also included the news that construction and development firm, Skanska, has been approved to oversee the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant property and the design and construction of a new Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium for the Rays.
Mayor Kenneth T. Welch said: “Today is a historic day in St. Petersburg. After 40 years and many promises, tonight’s vote paves the way for the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District.
“Although our partners at Pinellas County still must vote to fund their portion of the new stadium, tonight’s decision by St. Petersburg City Council marks a huge step forward to making this deal become a reality.”
In May, the Rays and their ballpark design firm, Populous, released new renderings and more details about the stadium they claim will provide the most intimate experience in MLB.
The $1.3bn ballpark will be the focal point of the $6.5bn Historic Gas Plant District Development project, further details of which were revealed earlier in May. Officials from the Rays and Hines, its global development partner, presented to the St. Petersburg City Council the agreement negotiated with Welch and his administration for the venture back in September.
The Rays neighbourhood ballpark, under the current working title of the Pavilion, is intended to be the anchor to the Historic Gas Plant District Development. At full buildout, the project will include upwards of eight million square feet of development including more than 5,000 residential units, 600 affordable/workforce housing units on the site and another 650 units elsewhere in the city, 1.4 million square feet of office/medical space, and 750 hotel rooms.
The approximately 30,000-seat ballpark will have a three-deck design and feature a variety of seating types, from premium clubs and suites to flexible viewing areas, decks and social gathering spaces. All concourses will include views of the field, and the park will feature a wide variety of fan amenities including a successor to the fan-favourite Rays Touch Tank Experience at Tropicana Field.
The Rays’ current home’s capacity for baseball is 25,025, but otherwise, the lowest capacity for an MLB ballpark currently stands at 34,830 for Progressive Field, home of the Cleveland Guardians. Of the approximately 30,000 seats in the new three-tier ballpark, the Rays have said around 70% would be below the top level, with roughly 15,000 in the lower bowl.
The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since 1998 but a move away from St. Petersburg had been considered for some time. In December 2022, the City of Tampa rekindled plans to secure the Rays by releasing renderings of a proposed new stadium. In response to Tampa’s move, the City of St. Petersburg reiterated its stance that the Historic Gas Plant District was the best location for a new stadium “for a variety of reasons”.
In December 2018, the Rays took the decision to abandon a project for a new stadium in Ybor City, Tampa after challenges related to funding. The club had unveiled plans to create the most intimate ballpark in MLB, with the headline feature of the Populous-designed stadium being a translucent roof accounting for 30% of the project cost.
In January 2022, Rays principal owner, Stuart Sternberg, expressed frustration after MLB rejected the franchise’s innovative ‘Sister City’ venture with Montreal, forcing the team to refocus its efforts on securing a new home in the local region.
Sternberg said yesterday: “Thursday’s St. Petersburg City Council approvals of the Historic Gas Plant District Development and a new ballpark for the Rays is a significant milestone for our city, Pinellas County and the entire Tampa Bay region — and for the Rays and our fans.
“We are incredibly grateful to Mayor Ken Welch for his leadership, vision and commitment. We thank the city staff for all of their hard work and attention to detail. And we particularly thank the City Council members for their time, thoughtful consideration and support of this agreement.
“We look forward to working with our Pinellas County partners on the next and final step in the process to secure the future of the Rays for generations to come.”
Hines senior managing director, Michael Harrison, added: “Our vision is to create a dynamic destination and community hub for all in St. Petersburg that embodies true placemaking and enhances the human experience.
“We remain committed to the descendants of the Historic Gas Plant District, aiming to develop an inclusive community that fosters opportunities for local businesses, well-paying jobs, and sustainable growth for all.”
If Pinellas County Commission votes to approve stadium-related and development agreements, construction is envisioned to begin next year on infrastructure and phase one vertical development. The proposed new ballpark is expected to open in 2028.
The City of St. Petersburg is set to spend $417.5m on the mixed-use district – $287.5m for the stadium and $130m on infrastructure. Pinellas County is due to commit $312.5m in tourism revenue to the project, with the Rays to pay for more than half of the stadium’s estimated cost as well as any additions or overrun.
The Rays’ current 30-year lease agreement at Tropicana Field ends after the 2027 MLB season. The new agreement will also be for 30 years, beginning in 2028, with the option of a pair of five-year renewals.
Finding a new home for the Rays began in earnest back in 2007. Sternberg added at a press conference: “We’re now on the cusp of something happening that I’ve been, and our organisation has been, pushing for and trying to get done for 20 years.
“We’ve made a number of missteps over the years. But we dust ourselves off and come back again. Things change in life, things change in markets and they change around in baseball. But as we’ve always been clear – we wanted to be here, and we want to be here to stay.”
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