TAMPA, Fla. (WWSB) – Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday threw state support behind a proposal to build a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium at a Hillsborough College site, pitching the project as both a long-term home for Major League Baseball in the region and a catalyst for redeveloping the area around the college’s Dale Mabry campus.
DeSantis said the state intends to convey land it owns to the college, which would then negotiate terms with the Rays. He framed the plan as one piece of a larger deal still being worked out with city and county officials, and said transportation planning for access in and out of the site would be part of the state’s role.
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“Baseball belongs in Tampa Bay,” DeSantis said. “Baseball can succeed in Tampa Bay.”
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred echoed that message, calling the day a “milestone” and saying he believes the Rays can remain part of the community for decades if local government, the team and the college form what he described as a workable public-private partnership.
Hillsborough College President Ken Atwater said the school’s board of trustees voted unanimously two weeks ago to approve a memorandum of understanding with the Rays. The agreement authorizes the college to pursue a partnership aimed at redeveloping the campus as part of a mixed-use district that would include a new ballpark, he said.
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A Rays representative said the ownership group expects to release renderings of the proposed development soon and plans to hold community meetings to gather feedback. He also touted the project’s potential economic impact, though details of any study behind that estimate were not provided in the remarks.
Funding, timelines and the final terms of any agreement were not announced. DeSantis said discussions with local officials are ongoing and not finalized.
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