Ken Welch, the mayor of St. Petersburg, Florida, announced on Monday that himself and the Tampa Bay Rays organization agreed to pursue plans regarding a new ballpark.
What is this plan?
Mayor Welch recited his state of the city speech on Monday. He spoke of a plan known as the Hines plan. It involves an 86-acre plot of land to be recreated to house the Rays. The plot is known as the historic gas district of St. Petersburg which is where Tropicana Field currently sits.
The plan also provides other benefits for the St. Pete community itself, including offices, hotels, and residential buildings.
Welch, the city of St. Pete, and the Tampa Bay Rays estimate the plan will cost about $4.6 billion dollars with construction for the ballpark itself beginning around the year 2026.
The current contract the Rays have with staying Tropicana Field is good through 2027. The new estimated 30,000 capacity ballpark will be a little northeast of Tropicana Field’s current site.
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred on the redevelopment news: “Thank you to Mayor Welch for reaffirming St. Petersburg’s commitment to Major League Baseball and the Tampa Bay Rays. We look forward to working with the Mayor to secure the Rays’ long-term future in Tampa Bay.”
The Future for St. Pete and the Rays
Also announced on Monday, the Rays organization pledged a $10 million donation towards affordable housing elsewhere in St. Petersburg. This addresses the problem of housing the city would lose in the gas district’s new infrastructure it is gaining.
The city and team both plan on having a new ballpark ready for the Rays for the 2028 season opener according to this Hines plan.
This does not necessarily guarantee the Rays will stay in the Tampa Bay-St. Pete area. However, it gives Rays fans a heavy reassurance that they more than likely will.