Rays’ $1.3B stadium project timeline in jeopardy, say team presidents

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After hurricane winds shredded the roof of Tropicana Field final month, building of the Tampa Bay Rays’ $1.3 billion new residence stadium has change into a query mark.

Crew presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman mentioned the group couldn’t transfer ahead on the mission with the present deal after the Pinellas County Board of Commissioners twice delayed approval of bonds that would supply public funding of the mission.

Auld and Silverman claimed in a letter secured by the Tampa Bay Occasions that that they had met the necessities for bond approval — together with spending $50 million so far — and although they knew after Hurricane Milton broken the Trop they’d have to determine a brand new venue for his or her residence video games, they believed the brand new park could be prepared in 2028.

“We knowledgeable our many architects, builders and consultants that our settlement had not been honored by the county,” the letter mentioned. “We suspended work on the complete mission—the ballpark and the Historic Gasoline Plant District growth.”

The deliberate stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, was to function the centerpiece of the upcoming $6.5 billion Historic Gasoline Plant Improvement District. In July, Skanska announced it had won the contract to function the proprietor’s consultant on the Gasoline Plant growth in addition to for design and building of the stadium. 

Skanska declined to touch upon the group’s letter.

Under the initial agreement, town of St. Petersburg agreed to spend $417.5 million on the district, together with $287.5 million for the stadium, and the county dedicated $312.5 million in tourism income to the ballpark. The Rays would pay for over half of the stadium’s prices in addition to any overruns.

In July, Pinellas commissioners accepted public financing for the stadium. However then in October, county commissioners voted to delay the approval of bonds, claiming uncertainty after Milton tore off the Trop’s roof, the Tampa Bay Occasions reported.

Within the letter despatched to the board Tuesday, Auld and Silverman mentioned that that they had no indication the board wouldn’t give the go forward for the bonds in October, calling it a “formality” after the July approval, and saying it meant the group couldn’t meet the ballpark’s 2028 timeline.

The commissioners will reassess the bond difficulty Dec. 17, per the Tampa Bay Occasions.

A report back to town of St. Petersburg obtained by AP Information indicated that repairing the roof of the Trop earlier than the beginning of the 2026 season would price $55.7 million. Town owns the ballpark, however insurance coverage on the damages features a $22 million deductible, so it could solely cowl a part of the general restore prices, per AP Information.

Within the meantime, the Rays presidents mentioned the group will play its 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Subject in Tampa, the spring coaching residence of the New York Yankees.