The Tampa Bay Rays are stepping up to the plate with a bold new stadium proposal - and this time, the pitch is aimed squarely at Hillsborough County.
On Tuesday, the Rays took a key step forward in their efforts to secure a long-term home, as Hillsborough College’s board of trustees unanimously approved a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the team. No debate, no delay - just a green light to start shaping what could become one of the most transformative projects in Tampa’s recent history.
So what’s on the table? It’s a three-pronged plan that reimagines the college’s Dale Mabry campus as a hub of education, entertainment, and economic development.
At the heart of it: a new ballpark for the Rays, surrounded by a mixed-use district featuring restaurants, residences, retail, and more. It’s the kind of ambitious blueprint that’s become increasingly popular around Major League Baseball - think The Battery in Atlanta, the bustling development around the Braves’ Truist Park.
That’s the model the Rays are aiming to replicate.
“This is early innings,” said Rays CEO Ken Babby during the meeting. “Today is just a step - a milestone - in the process.”
And he’s right. While the MOU doesn’t lock anything in just yet, it does give the Rays and the college a 180-day exclusive window to hammer out the details of a final agreement.
That includes the all-important financing plan, which will need buy-in from city, county, and state leaders - and that’s where things could get tricky.
The current proposal would see Hillsborough College lease the southeast corner of its property to the Rays for no less than 99 years. If public funding is used to build the stadium or related infrastructure, ownership would transfer to the county - a move that could shield the team from property taxes.
Meanwhile, the college would get a major facelift of its own. The southwest corner of the site would be redeveloped with new classrooms, infrastructure, and common spaces - a much-needed upgrade, according to Hillsborough College President Ken Atwater, who pegged the campus’s renovation needs at $50 million.
Atwater said the project would bring 600,000 square feet of new “learning space” and create workforce opportunities for students, tying the stadium plan directly to the college’s academic mission.
The Rays also unveiled fresh renderings from Gensler, the same architectural firm they worked with during their previous stadium push in St. Petersburg’s Historic Gas Plant District. This time, the vision includes not just a stadium, but a full-fledged destination - hotels, multifamily housing, sports and health facilities, commercial buildings, and plenty of parking.
But before construction crews can break ground, the plan will have to clear several hurdles. Hillsborough County’s Board of Commissioners and the Tampa City Council will both need to sign off. And while the Rays are pushing for a public-private partnership to fund the project, there’s already some resistance to the idea of using tax dollars for a stadium.
Governor Ron DeSantis, speaking at a news conference Tuesday, made it clear: the state isn’t paying for the stadium itself. However, he did express support for the broader partnership and said the state could help fund road improvements to ease traffic congestion. He also floated the idea of relocating a Department of Juvenile Justice center that currently sits on the northwest corner of the property, potentially freeing up more space for development.
“This could be good for them, good for the state, and really good for this region,” DeSantis said. He also noted that Hillsborough College’s leadership - particularly President Atwater - is “excited about the possibility.”
Supporters like Joe Robinson, a member of the Tampa Sports Authority and representative of the West Tampa Community Development Corporation, see the project as a potential game-changer. “This could be a sports corridor, a destination,” Robinson said, pointing to the site’s proximity to Raymond James Stadium and George M. Steinbrenner Field - homes to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Yankees’ spring training, respectively.
The Rays’ ownership group, led by Jacksonville-area developer Patrick Zalupski, is still relatively new to the scene, having taken over the team in September. Zalupski, who has ties to DeSantis and serves on the University of Florida’s Board of Trustees, brings a real estate background to the table - a valuable asset for a project of this scope.
But as DeSantis pointed out, nothing is guaranteed. “I know there are other parts of Florida that want it, too,” he said, referencing interest from Orlando, Disney, and Universal. “Tampa Bay should have first dibs, but they’ve got to make it work.”
The Rays are betting big on this Hillsborough College partnership - and with the 180-day clock now ticking, they’ll need to move quickly to turn this vision into a reality. If they can pull it off, it won’t just be about securing a stadium. It’ll be about building a legacy - one that reshapes the region and gives the Rays a home worthy of their ambitions.