The conversation around a potential new home for the Tampa Bay Rays is picking up steam, but before anyone breaks ground-or opens the public wallet-Tampa and Hillsborough County officials are pressing pause to ask a crucial question: What’s the economic upside?
That was the central theme during a recent meeting of the Tampa Sports Authority’s finance committee, where board members, led by finance chair Andy Scaglione, made it clear they’re not ready to greenlight public subsidies for a proposed Rays stadium without a deeper look at the financials.
The stadium in question is part of a larger mixed-use development the Rays hope to build at the Dale Mabry campus, a site currently owned by Hillsborough College. Last week, the college’s District Board of Trustees approved a preliminary agreement outlining what still needs to be negotiated before the project can move forward. But for Scaglione and others, that outline raised more questions than it answered.
Scaglione didn’t hold back, peppering Sports Authority CEO Eric Hart with a series of pointed questions. What would the Rays pay for a 99-year lease?
How much land would the development occupy? Are there deed restrictions on the property?
What’s the plan for parking and traffic flow? And how would the project coexist with nearby neighbors like the New York Yankees’ spring training complex and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ facilities?
There’s also the matter of Tampa International Airport, just a stone’s throw away. Scaglione asked whether there had been any talks with the Federal Aviation Administration about potential height restrictions on new construction-a real consideration given the stadium’s proposed location.
But the heart of the discussion came down to one thing: economic impact. Scaglione emphasized the need for a comprehensive study that would quantify the return on investment before any public dollars are committed.
“Well, before you ask for public subsidies, you need to find out what’s going to go in the coffers,” Scaglione said during the meeting. “What’s the return on investment? Without it, I don’t think you’re being good stewards of the money.”
That sentiment is expected to shape the Sports Authority’s next steps. The full board will vote on Scaglione’s recommendation to commission an economic study at its February 3 meeting. Until then, the message is clear: no blank checks.
For his part, Hart stressed that there have been no formal negotiations with the Rays yet-only early-stage conversations about what the team envisions for the site. He said the Rays are interested in developing a similar non-binding framework with the Sports Authority, similar to what they’ve already outlined with Hillsborough College.
To help assess the proposal, the Sports Authority has tapped two heavyweights in the field. AECOM, a global infrastructure consulting firm, has been brought in to review an economic study already conducted by the Rays. Meanwhile, construction giant Skanska is reviewing the estimated $2.3 billion price tag attached to the stadium build.
“That’s why you’re seeing me doing economic analysis,” Hart explained. “Because I think that would give better answers to be able to answer all your questions. Right now, I would tell you that there’s ingredients, but there’s no soup.”
Translation: it’s still early. There’s a vision, but not yet a fully baked plan.
Nine of the 11 Sports Authority board members were present for the meeting, including Don DeFosset, who echoed Scaglione’s concerns. “Andy’s insightful questions ... are very legitimate,” DeFosset said. “It raises all those questions, it doesn’t answer everything.”
Notably absent from the meeting were Tampa City Council member Alan Clendenin and Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, one of the more vocal advocates for bringing the Rays across the bay from St. Petersburg.
As things stand, the Rays’ long-term home remains undecided. But if Tampa and Hillsborough County are going to be part of that future, they’re making it clear: show us the numbers first.