ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — Pinellas County commissioners voted 5-2 Tuesday in favor of passing approved funding for the new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays Stadium.
Vince Nowicki and Chris Scherer were the two commissioners who voted against the funding. Chris Latvala and Dave Eggers, who previously did not support the bonds, voted to approve them.
The overall plan was approved by the county commission and city of St. Petersburg officials this summer, but votes on the funding for the deal had been postponed numerous times in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Under the agreement, the city and county would put up about half the cost, with the Rays covering the rest, including any cost overruns.
The proposal was supposed to qwell concerns about the Rays’ future, including possible moves across the bay to Tampa, Nashville or even to split-city plan with Montreal, an idea Major League Baseball rejected.
Under the stadium deal, the Rays commit to remain in St. Petersburg for another 30 years. But the Rays will play this season in Tampa at the New York Yankees’ spring training site, Steinbrenner Field, because of hurricane damage to Tropicana Field.
While the city and county have done its part, it is now up to the Rays to uphold their end of the bargain. If they do not do so, the deal will automatically terminate in March with the franchise entitled to no land in St. Petersburg.
Rays President Matt Silverman released this statement following the decision:
“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. 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.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.