After a season spent playing host to the Tampa Bay Rays while their home stadium undergoes repairs, Hillsborough County commissioners agreed Wednesday that Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field could use a makeover
Commissioners voted 6 to 1 in favor of spending $17.96 million on a laundry list of cosmetic fixes and technological upgrades to the New York Yankees’ spring training stadium, which served as the Tampa Bay Rays temporary home field after Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off Tropicana Field last October.
Commissioner Donna Cameron Cepeda was the lone no vote.
During Wednesday’s commission meeting, the Yankees pitched the county on two dozen upgrades the team would like to see at the county-owned stadium. The two biggest items on that list: a $4.5 million scoreboard for next season and a $2.5 million renovation to the stadium’s entry plaza.
Other improvements include a new sound system, new seating, repaving the parking lot and concrete walkways, sun shades, Wi-Fi accessibility for fans, installing additional security cameras and replacing old air conditioning units, Kevin Brickey, director of Hillsborough County’s Management and Budget department said Wednesday.
The last time Steinbrenner Field saw any renovations was in 2016, county documents said. The stadium was first opened in 1996 as “Legends Field” and was renamed in honor of former Yankees owner and Tampa resident George Steinbrenner in 2008. Under an agreement signed by Hillsborough County commissioners in 1994, the stadium’s upkeep is a responsibility shared by the county, the Tampa Sports Authority, and the Yankees organization.
The Rays brought a new audience to Steinbrenner Field this season, Major League Baseball attendance records show. The outdoor stadium, located across N Dale Mabry Highway from Raymond James Stadium, has a seating capacity of 10,046. The Yankees’ typically play 17 spring training games at the venue, which attracted an average of 8,931 people each game this year, MLB records show.
The Rays, however, played an additional 81 games at Steinbrenner Field and drew an average of 9,713 people per game. The team sold out 61 of their home games, according to MLB statistics.
“The Yankees have been incredible partners for decades and they showed their true sense of community, candidly, by allowing the Rays to play at Steinbrenner Field this past season, something they did not have to do,” Hillsborough County Commission Chairman Ken Hagan said Wednesday. “Steinbrenner Field is a county-owned asset, so it’s in our best interest to maintain it as a first-class facility.”
The county’s contribution to the stadium upgrades only covers a portion of the estimated $39.8 million worth of renovations needed, Brickey said. The Yankees have already paid out or entered into contracts on upgrades totaling $21.9 million.
The money allocated by county commissioners comes from the 4th Percent Tourist Development Tax — or bed tax. It will be paid out in two installments: a payment of $11.26 million on Sept. 30 and the remaining $6.7 million on Sept. 30, 2027.
Commissioner Joshua Wostal voiced reservations about paying for new lighting and other stadium enhancements “for a Major League team that is worth billions of dollars,” but ultimately voted in favor of allocating the requested funds.
“Leaders of the past had made the decision to purchase this,” Wostal said, “and it is a county asset that requires us to maintain a safe standard where we could assume liability for any harm.”