AND Tampa Bay Rays They made a “difficult decision” to stop the estimated stadium agreement and land rearrangement of $ 1.3 billion. The project would provide the future of the MLB Club in St. Petersburg, Florida, the latest player next to Tropican Field.
Current home of air passes repairs after the roof of the stadium He was strongly damaged by Hurricane Milton in October. Rays will welcome guest teams Steinbrenner Field in 2025. A 11,000 -seat ballpark serves as a New York Yankees’ spring training.
Rays chief owner Stuart Sternberg said that “a series of events” in October and delays in financing led to “this difficult decision”.
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The image of an unmanned aircraft shows the dome of the tropican field, which is Hurricane Milton in St. Petersburg, 1024. (Bryan R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
“After careful consideration, we concluded that at this point we could not move forward with the new BallPark and Development project,” Sternberg said in a statement. “A series of events starting in October for which no one could have predicted brought to this difficult decision.”
Sternberg added that the organization remains dedicated to solving the problem with the stadium.
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“Our dedication to the vitality and success of the Rays organization is unwavering. We continue to focus on finding a solution for Ballpark, which serves the best interest of our region, Baseball -Aa Major League and our organization.”
“Baseball Major League remains dedicated to finding a permanent home for the club in the Tampa Bay region for its fans and the local community,” ” Said MLB in a statement. “Commissioner (Rob) Manfred understands the disappointment of a community in St. Petersburg from today’s announcement, but will continue to work with selected officials, community leaders and Rays officials to secure the future of the club in the Tampa Bay region.”
The Tropicana Field opened in 1990 and has been home to Rays since they took over the field in 1998. St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, the driving force of what was called the initiative “here to stay it” intended for retention of air in the city for another 30 years, said that the decision was disappointing, but “it is not unexpected.”
It is possible that the rays could be sold, he noted.
Tropicana Field before the match between Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/USA Today Sports)
“If in the coming months the new owner who shows the dedication to their agreements and the appearance of our community priorities, we will consider the partnership for holding baseball in St. Pete. But we will not put the progress of our city on hold while waiting for a co -worker and a Baseball partner directed to the community,” Welch said.
According to their current contract with the City of St. Petersburg, Rays would play for three more seasons on their existing playground after being repaired. These repairs are expected to be completed on time for season 2026.
“The city of St. Petersburg is currently progressing plans to renovate Tropican Field for the 2026 season,” Sternberg said. “We are grateful for their efforts and we are excited to return to our home field next spring.”
Damaged roof tropical Field, House Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, after Hurricane Milton made a landing in the center of St. Petersburg, Florida, October 10, 2024. (Reuters/Octavio Jones)
The proposed 30,000 seat stadium is a signature piece of a wider revitalization project of $ 6.5 billion known as a historic gas plant neighborhood, relating to a predominantly black neighborhood that was forced to build Tropican Field and an interstate reed of the highway.
The Rays decision puts a wider project in Limbo.
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The rays faced Rok 31 March 31 to decide whether you would continue with a new BallPark project. According to an agreement that previously approved the City and Pinellas County, the Government would cover approximately half of the HRK 1.3 billion stadium costs, with Rays and their development partner Hines covered the rest, including all cost exceeding.
Associated Press contributed to this report.
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