By now, we should be familiar with the process. We’ve lived, lamented and dissected it before.
A shiny, new stadium is proposed. (Cheers!) The cost is revealed. (Groans.) There is a dance behind closed doors. (Oh my.) A deadline is missed. (Well, crap.) And, in the end, we’re back at Tropicana Field daydreaming about ballparks with more amenities, charm and appeal.
This has been our destiny, right? A never-ending tale set in different locations throughout Tampa Bay.
So if you are inclined to shrug off the latest bump in the road for the proposed stadium at Hillsborough College, I wouldn’t blame you one bit. In some ways, it’s what we’ve come to expect in this billion-dollar fever dream.
But there are some differences.
No. 1, this is the closest we’ve ever come to a ballpark on the Tampa side of the bridge, which most people seem to agree is the preferable location.
No. 2, the end of the Tropicana Field use agreement is now well within sight.
No. 3, the deadline is not as artificial as you might think.
I’m not talking about the 2029 deadline to have the stadium built. That’s always felt like wishful thinking and not entirely necessary. It’s not like the Rays can switch gears this summer and have a new stadium ready to go in Orlando or Raleigh or Nashville by 2029. If they want to get in a stadium as quickly as possible, Tampa Bay is still the best bet. And Tropicana Field is still the best option for a one-year lease extension.
But there is a deadline coming up in the next month that is critical.
And that’s why there was a minor case of hysteria when Hillsborough County officials recently suggested the team’s June 1 deadline of finalizing the agreement would not likely be accommodated. In their response to the county, the Rays acknowledged it might take more time beyond June 1 to finalize all the finer details, but they are still pushing for the county and the city to at least approve a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the next few weeks.
Why is that deadline so important?
Because the Florida Legislature has scheduled a special session beginning May 12 to approve the state budget. And that state budget would presumably include $150 million to rebuild Hillsborough College, thus paving the way for the new stadium and mixed-use development on the current campus site. Without an approved memo of understanding from Hillsborough County and Tampa, that $150 million, as well as redevelopment plans for the campus site, might very well disappear.
And with Gov. Ron DeSantis — who has championed the campus idea — nearing the end of his term, there is no guarantee the plan could be revived in some future budget.
“The success of this site and this moment in Tampa is contingent on the state’s commitment, both to the college and the project,” Rays CEO Ken Babby said.
The county has expressed concern that the language of the current MOU might bind them to the agreement, and that will need to be worked out. And since the Rays need the MOU signed by the end of May, the team might need to acquiesce on that point.
If that happens, then it would make sense for the county to approve the MOU. Even for commissioners who are skeptical of the plan, it seems more logical to keep the state funding and land use alive while still debating the other details. The team and city/county officials have already scheduled negotiations for the upcoming week.
Now, when it comes to what looks like a $135 million shortfall between what the Rays are requesting and the county/city says it can provide, there might not be as much wiggle room. Babby said the county identified some funding options at a recent workshop and those need to be explored because the team is not willing to go beyond its initial commitment of $1.2 billion plus cost overruns for the proposed $2.3 billion stadium.
“If you say to me, ‘Am I concerned?’ I’m certainly concerned we’re not further along,” Babby said, “but both sides are working as hard as they can to figure this out.”
Hillsborough commissioner Joshua Wostal has proposed using a tourist development tax to pay the county’s portion of construction, but that would require the Rays to pay all the upfront costs for construction and get reimbursed with public funds over the next 35 years.
Babby said that is not feasible, even as a stopgap for the $135 million shortfall.
“The Rays are prepared to put over $1.2 billion cash into this plan. We cannot, on top of that, front the public money beyond the commitment that we’re already making,” Babby said. “We are coming to the table with $1.2 billion of capital and we can’t have our partners, the city and county, saying they’ll pay us back their portion over time.”
Could that be a deal breaker? Absolutely. Even a 6% discrepancy in funding (which is roughly what the $135 million shortfall equals) ends up being an enormous amount of money.
But considering how far this project has come in a short period of time — and acknowledging the Rays are theoretically free to negotiate with any other market about building a ballpark for 2029 and beyond — getting the MOU locked down this week seems like a necessary next step.
“We want everybody to understand that we are trying to bring resolution to something that has fatigued the community for two decades, and we’re right on the precipice,” Babby said.
“You have parties on all sides that want nothing more than to make this happen. The intent and appetite and desire and passion for this to happen, from the Rays, from the county, from the city, is in place. Now, we just need to resolve the issues and funding and bring this to a place where it’s really viable.”
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