Rays set to finalize deal for St. Petersburg stadium
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Tampa Bay Rays are expected to finalize a deal Tuesday to build a new stadium in downtown St. Petersburg, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The stadium is projected to be built near the current site of Tropicana Field and is scheduled to open for the 2028 season. It has been reported the new field will have a capacity of 30,000 and include a fixed dome roof and artificial turf.
Total cost for the new ballpark is anticipated to reach $1.2 billion, which will paid by the Rays, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.
Originally costing $115 million, Tropicana Field has housed the Tampa Bay Rays since their first game in franchise history on March 31, 1998. A turf field, “The Trop” holds a current capacity of 42,735.
With the Rays’ 30-year ballpark lease set to expire, the new stadium is expected to generate more revenue and sponsorship deals. It also ended the Rays’ 16-year search for a new ballpark, which included discussions dating back to 2016 to stay in Tampa that never materialized.
At just over $73 million, the Rays have one of the lowest payrolls in baseball. Despite lacking revenue, the team has amassed six straight winning seasons and are currently 92-59 in the American League East. Moreover, the Rays have accumulated just four losing seasons since 2008.
