ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — We're getting a better look at the new Tampa Bay Rays stadium — developers released new renderings and a layout of the ballpark and surrounding Historic Gas Plant District in St. Petersburg on Thursday.
Overall, developers say the new Rays stadium will be an "intimate experience" for fans, promising to bring them closer to the action as well as the person next to them.
The Rays say the ballpark will be the "anchor" to the Gas Plant redevelopment project. After the ballpark and neighboring facilities are built, the team says the project will have close to 8 million square feet of development, including more than 5,000 residential units, 600 affordable/workforce housing units on site and another 650 units in other parts of St. Petersburg.
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About 1.4 million square feet of the development will be reserved for office and/or medical space. Additionally, there will be a hotel with about 750 rooms. You can get more information about the Historic Gas Plant District Development by clicking or tapping here.
“Our baseball park will be the most intimate and inviting in the sport,” Rays President Matt Silverman said in a release. “The park is designed to bring our fans as close to the field as possible, to create a distinctive, compelling game experience.”
The ballpark is set to seat about 30,000 fans in a three-deck design with multiple seating and viewing options. Developers say all concourses in the park will have views of the field and will maintain fan amenities including a new version of the Rays Touch Tank Experience.
The ballpark's design is inspired by a pavilion and will sport large windows wrapping around the building, connecting the inside and outside for guests, developers say.
As a homage to the Historic Gas Plant District, porches are a recurring motif in the venue's design. "The front porch historically played an integral social role in the former Gas Plant neighborhood and across St. Petersburg," the release said. "The ballpark’s front porch will open up to a main plaza acting as a community gathering space within the Historic Gas Plant District."
Outside of the Tampa Bay Rays' season, the new ballpark is billed as a 365-day venue that will be able to host events including concerts, festivals, conferences and graduations year-round.
Tampa Bay Rays release new images of ballpark, surrounding development
But the park isn't a done deal. St. Petersburg City Council and the Pinellas County Commission are set to vote in July on the ballpark and development agreements.
If everything goes to plan, construction will start in January 2025 and the ballpark will be ready for the Rays and fans on Opening Day 2028.
