The Pinellas County Commission has approved a $312.5 million bond issue to finance its part of a new $1.3 billion stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. The 5-2 vote, which was delayed twice, allows the county to move forward with selling the bonds, contingent on the Rays meeting their obligations under the deal. The approval follows the St. Petersburg City Council’s earlier vote to approve its $287.5 million share of the project on December 6.
The new stadium, part of a $6.5 billion agreement reached in July, will be located in St. Petersburg’s Gas Plant District and include a multi-use development. However, the Rays have raised concerns about the project’s delayed timeline, which has pushed the stadium’s completion to 2029, resulting in significant cost overruns. In a statement, Rays President Matt Silverman criticized the delay in bond approval, noting that the team cannot absorb the added costs alone and remains ready to work with the county and city to close the funding gap.
Two new commissioners, Chris Scherer and Vince Nowicki, voted against the stadium deal, while Commissioner Chris Latvala, who previously opposed the project, changed his vote after MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred affirmed his commitment to keeping the Rays in the Tampa Bay area. Latvala also suggested that new ownership might be needed for the team.
Despite setbacks, the stadium project is moving forward, though the Rays will play their 2025 home games at George Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training park. The team will play 69 of its final 103 games on the road to avoid the region’s rainy season.
