STREET. Petersburg, Fla. – The Rays of Tampa Bay on Thursday withdrew from a stadium project of $ 1.3 billion, citing hurricanes and delays that will probably increase the cost of the proposal.
The team issued a statement by the main owner Stuart Sternberg saying that “a series of events” in October, which included serious damage in the existing Tropicana field and the delays in financing, led to what he called “this difficult decision.”
“After careful deliberation, we have concluded that we cannot advance with the new stadium and development project at this time,” said Sternberg.
Played from the Trop in St. Petersburg, the Rays will play the games at this season in Tampa Bay at the Spring Training House of the New York Yankees, Steinbrenner Field of 11,000 seats. Meanwhile, repairs imagine the Trop, including the replacement of their roof crushed by Hurricane Milton, which would do it ready for the 2026 season.
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According to his current contract with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays would play three more seasons in their existing stadium after it is repaired. Beyond that, the future of the team in the Tampa Bay area is uncertain. MLB and Rays could evaluate the assistance and interest of fans during the team season in Tampa in Steinbrenner Field, since they consider alternative sites.
“The city of St. Petersburg is currently advancing plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season,” Sternberg said. “We are grateful for their efforts and we are excited to return to our local field next spring.”
The proposed stage of 30,000 seats is an exclusive piece of a revitalization project of $ 6.5 billion broader known as the historical district of the gas plant, which refers to a predominantly black neighborhood that was forced by the construction of the Trop and an interesting road spur of roads.
Supporters say that development would transform a tract of 86 acres in the city center, with plans for a black history museum, affordable homes, entertainment places, in addition to offices and retail spaces, and the promise of thousands of jobs.
That broader project, which has the Rays Stadium to be an anchor, is also in Limbo with this decision.
