Rays call for further negotiations in stadium deal after county bond vote

CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The Pinellas County Commission voted Tuesday to approve bonds that will finance its share of a new Rays ballpark in St. Petersburg, but the club said the county’s previous delays would force them to push back the planned opening of the ballpark by a year and makes it unrealistic for them to solely afford the increased cost of construction.

County Commissioners initially agreed to delay their vote on Oct. 29. Before the county again deferred its vote on Nov. 19, Rays presidents Matt Silverman and Brian Auld wrote that the unexpected October pause “ended the ability for a 2028 delivery of the ballpark,” as scheduled, and added that “a 2029 ballpark delivery would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone.”

The St. Petersburg City Council voted earlier this month, 4-3, to approve bonds to fund the city’s $287.5 million portion of the Rays’ planned $1.3 billion stadium and surrounding Historic Gas Plant District development. The County Commission followed suit on Tuesday with a 5-2 vote in favor of the bonds funding the county’s $312.5 million investment in the project.

After the vote, the Rays reiterated their stance regarding the substantially increased construction costs as a result of the county’s delays and called for further negotiations.

“It was unsurprising to see the Commissioners acknowledge how important the Tampa Bay Rays and our stadium development agreement are to this community and its citizens,” Silverman said in a statement. “As we have made clear, the County's delay has caused the ballpark's completion to slide into 2029. As a result, the cost of the project has increased significantly, and we cannot absorb this increase alone. When the County and City wish to engage, we remain ready to solve this funding gap together.”

After Hurricane Milton caused significant damage to Tropicana Field, where they had been set to play through the end of the 2027 season, the Rays will play their 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Their future beyond next year is unclear.

The county’s share of the funding comes from tourism development tax revenue, which can only be spent on tourism-related/economic development expenses like a new ballpark or beach renourishment. In the discussion leading up to their vote, commissioners noted that the Rays must meet specific requirements by March 31 for the bonds to be issued.

“I do think that we will see a new stadium,” County Commission Vice-Chair Brian Scott said. “There is no better opportunity out there for the Rays than what we have done today.”

County Commission Chair Kathleen Peters and Commissioner Chris Latvala said they spoke last week to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. In a statement, Latvala specifically cited Manfred as “the reason I am voting yes.”

“I’m still optimistic we’re going to see this go through, and Commissioner Manfred is very eager to see this happen,” Peters said. “He is very supportive of staying in the Tampa Bay area and supporting the Tampa Bay fans. He has said it numerous times, and I feel just as optimistic that this will go through.”

Voting on the bonds was thought by most to be a procedural formality after the Rays, the city and the county celebrated their agreement this past summer. Peters attributed the county’s delays to timing; the October vote was scheduled after back-to-back hurricanes devastated the area, and the November vote came shortly after two newly elected commissioners joined the board.

In the initial ballpark agreement, the Rays pledged to commit $700 million and cover any cost overruns. Peters said the commission won’t entertain renegotiating the deal if the Rays request more money from the county, and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch previously made a similar promise to the City Council.

“We’re looking forward to having a great baseball stadium and keeping the Rays here,” Peters said. “They’re ‘Here to Stay’ -- that’s our hope.”