Why April is a pivotal month for the future of a new Rays stadium in Tampa

Major questions remain unanswered, including how much the new stadium will cost and whether there’s enough public money to pay for half of it.

TAMPA, Fla. — April begins a pivotal month to make dreams of a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium a reality.

Major questions remain unanswered, including how much it’ll really cost and whether there’s enough public money to pay for half of it.

First, on Wednesday, Hillsborough County Commissioner Gwen Myers has added an agenda item to ask the county commissioners if they can use money raised from the local half-cent sales tax called the Community Investment Tax.

Using a portion of revenues from the tax has been called essential to partial public funding of a potential stadium by commission chair Ken Hagan.

Several commissioners have stated concern about using CIT funds for a new stadium, saying the public didn’t contemplate that use when it reapproved the tax last year.

If the item is approved, the counsel of the county attorney will be key to the stadium’s fate.

Next are several reports and meetings that are either due or planned to happen by the end of this week, including an economic impact report for the city of Tampa, and discussions between the Tampa Sports Authority and Rays ownership to help verify the feasibility of plans the Rays have submitted.

The work behind the scenes between the Rays, TSA and county and city officials continues as they all work to try and draw up language to present to the commission and city council on April 15 and 16, respectively. Those staff proposals may include more formal agreement language that could bind all parties together to get a stadium deal done.

The longer that gets delayed, the more tenuous the reality of a new stadium in Tampa becomes, as construction will take years, the Rays’ lease with St. Pete at Tropicana Field ends in 2028, and there are other cities, including Orlando, who would love to swoop in and relocate the team.

As the clock ticks, TSA CEO Eric Hart said at a board meeting Tuesday that there are still questions over whether there will be enough parking, an outstanding engineering report from AECOM, and proof from the Rays that they’ve secured the financing for their half of an estimated $2.3 billion stadium.

Even that figure is in flux; SKANSKA reviewed the plans and cost estimates the Rays submitted for a stadium roof and claims it’s not sturdy enough for hurricane damage and would cost potentially $300 million more than projected.