Conflicting Reports Emerge as Rays’ $1.3B stadium project timeline in jeopardy, say team presidents

November 23, 2024 Michael Mills MLB 0

After Hurricane Milton caused a delay in funding approval, the MLB team’s leaders said the new ballpark’s 2028 schedule is not viable.

After hurricane winds shredded the roof of Tropicana Field last month, construction of the Tampa Bay Rays’ $1.3 billion new home stadium has become a question mark.

Team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman said the organization could not move forward on the project with the current deal after the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners twice delayed approval of bonds that would provide public funding of the project.

Auld and Silverman claimed in a letter secured by the Tampa Bay Times that they had met the requirements for bond approval — including spending $50 million to this point — and though they knew after Hurricane Milton damaged the Trop they’d have to figure out a new venue for their home games, they believed the new park would be ready in 2028.

“We informed our many architects, builders and consultants that our agreement had not been honored by the county,” the letter said. “We suspended work on the entire project—the ballpark and the Historic Gas Plant District development.”

The planned stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, was to serve as the centerpiece of the upcoming $6.5 billion Historic Gas Plant Development District. In July, Skanska announced it had won the contract to serve as the owner’s representative on the Gas Plant development as well as for design and construction of the stadium.

Skanska declined to comment on the team’s letter.

Under the initial agreement, the city of St. Petersburg agreed to spend $417.5 million on the district, including $287.5 million for the stadium, and the county committed $312.5 million in tourism revenue to the ballpark. The Rays would pay for over half of the stadium’s costs as well as any overruns.

In July, Pinellas commissioners approved public financing for the stadium. But then in October, county commissioners voted to delay the approval of bonds, claiming uncertainty after Milton tore off the Trop’s roof, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

In the letter sent to the board Tuesday, Auld and Silverman said that they had no indication the board wouldn’t give the go ahead for the bonds in October, calling it a “formality” after the July approval, and saying it meant the team could not meet the ballpark’s 2028 timeline.

The commissioners will reassess the bond issue Dec. 17, per the Tampa Bay Times.

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