PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The St. Petersburg City Council brought a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays and the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District one step closer to reality Thursday when it signed off on the deal between the city, Pinellas County, and developer Rays-Hines.
The council voted 5-3 to approve the stadium development plan.
“I’m thrilled that it’s happened here in St. Petersburg. That’s been our goal," Rays owner Stuart Sternburg said after the vote. “And it’s going to be the greatest ballpark baseball has ever seen.”
Planning, discussion and debate surrounding a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and the redevelopment of the Gas Plant District have been ongoing for years. The team considered a move to Ybor City or splitting its season between St. Pete and Montreal before the current deal materialized.
Wednesday, partners and developers joined together to voice their support of the project.
"Our commitment is here for the community. Our community is here for St. Petersburg, Tampa Bay, and the entire region. And it is our commitment is to do things in the most responsible fashion we can," said Brian Auld, President of the Tampa Bay Rays.
The new stadium will be constructed on an 86-acre area known as the Historic Gas Plant District. In January, Hines was selected as the developer for the Gas Plant District. According to the city of St. Petersburg, the new project will include:
- 4,800 residential units
- 1,200 affordable/workforce residential units (on and off-site)
- 600 senior living units
- 1.4 million square feet of office, medical, and commercial space
- 750,000 square feet of retail
- 750 hotel rooms
- 100,000 square feet of entertainment space, including a concert venue to seat up to 4,000
- 50,000 square feet of civic space, including a new home for the Carter G. Woodson African-American Museum
- 90-100,000 square feet of conference, ballroom, and meeting space
- 14 acres of public open space
- 14,000 parking spaces
The deal states that Rays-Hines has a cap on how much it will contribute to affordable housing, and the city would need to subsidize the rest of the cost. The deal also promises that 15% of the work on the stadium and redevelopment will be done by disadvantaged workers and another 15% by apprentices.
Hines said the goal is to break ground in the second half of 2024 and will come in two phases. Phase 1 of the development and the new stadium are projected to be completed by 2028.
The total cost of the project is expected to be $1.3 billion, and the Rays will pay more than half of that cost and be responsible for any cost overruns. The remaining approximately $600 million will come from Pinellas County and the City of St. Petersburg.
The deal is not without its critics, including three on council who ultimately voted against it.
Councilman Richie Floyd argued the $417 million in public funds being footed by the city could be better spent elsewhere.
“There are things that are going to go unfunded — essential needs in our city — because we are spending so much on this," Floyd said.
Now, the deal needs Pinellas County’s approval during a meeting on July 30, but St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch is confident commissioners will support it.
“I’ve spoken with commissioners from the onset. Already received one congratulations from one commissioner already," Welch said.
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