31.12.2025 13:40
source: StadiumDB.com ; author: Jakub Ducki
The Tampa Bay Rays’ front office says work on the new ballpark project is progressing according to plan, with the club actively analyzing potential sites across the Tampa Bay region. The goal remains to open a modern stadium before the start of the 2029 season.
Rays evaluating sites and talking to local officials
Rays CEO Ken Babby has said the organization is making progress in assessing several possible locations for the new ballpark and is holding numerous discussions with city and county officials on both sides of Tampa Bay.
We are exploring sites. We are meeting with architects. We are meeting with public officials Babby told the Tampa Bay Times during Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings. We are conducting a lot of analysis on how you go about building a development in a ballpark that meet the criteria that we talked about (including a plot of at least 100 acres). We’re visiting a lot of other parks, a lot of other stadiums, understanding what’s possible with different structures.
He added that the club is learning a lot and doing it quickly in order to fully understand the potential of each site. Although Babby did not reveal specific locations, he acknowledged that Rays executives have already met with city and county leaders around the bay. He did not set a deadline for choosing a site or breaking ground, emphasizing only that the plan to open the new stadium in 2029 is still in place.
Optimism from MLB leadership
Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has also spoken positively about the Rays’ progress after receiving a general update during the latest owners’ meetings. One, they are focused on the Tampa Bay region, which is where we would like to be, he told The Times. think that they have had conversations about specific sites and the process continues.
Manfred called the Rays’ timeline ambitious but realistic, noting that the Oakland Athletics began construction on their new stadium in Las Vegas in June and are planning to open in 2028. (The Rays) have got a little time still, they’ve got to be after it, though. They do, he stressed.
Potential locations and public–private partnership
According to unofficial information, most of the potential sites are on the Tampa side, with the Hillsborough College campus near Raymond James Stadium seen as one of the leading candidates. Other sites reportedly under consideration include the Rocky Point golf course, the Florida State Fairgrounds and the Ybor City area.
Babby has acknowledged that the club has held a series of introductory meetings with Tampa city officials, including almost all members of the city council. Certainly, we discussed the ballpark, we discussed different sites that we were looking at. We discussed what we thought a construct of a public-private partnership could look like, he said.
The Rays executive has stressed that the club is focused on building strong relationships with local communities and elected officials. A robust public–private partnership is expected to be crucial, as the overall project cost – covering not only the stadium itself but the surrounding mixed-use development – is estimated at more than $1 billion.
We believe that to build a state-of-the-art development, it’s going to require at least that kind of acreage and it’s also going to require a great public-private partnership. We’re going to do our part. We’re not out there looking for anything that’s unfair or unjust, Babby said. We want to build something that is truly a win for the community. And that’s building a district, building a community, driving jobs, creating billions of dollars of economic impact.
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Inspired by Atlanta
The Rays are looking closely at other modern stadium projects for inspiration. Babby confirmed that Tampa mayor Jane Castor visited The Battery in Atlanta – the Atlanta Braves’ ballpark-centered mixed-use development – at the club’s invitation.
We think The Battery is an exceptional example of what’s possible, Babby said. When we think about land, and we think about layout, and we think about process, we spend a lot of time understanding what’s doable. The Braves have been wonderful at sharing economic impact, jobs data, philanthropic impact that’s been created from The Battery.
Rays officials have also toured other facilities, including the Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium in Minnesota, to study construction and operational solutions. Even so, the Atlanta complex remains their primary point of reference. And I suspect we’ll continue to make more trips up there as we try and understand sort of how they did it and how they went about building it. And, boy, if we ended up building a development that was as successful as the Braves, that would be a pretty good, pretty good win for the region, for sure, he added.
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Ambitious timeline and upgrades at Tropicana Field
Babby has admitted that opening in April 2029 is an ambitious target and that choosing the right site – one that meets requirements for access, transportation and land use – will be critical. The Rays are also weighing how much site-preparation work each location would require. The location matters a lot, Babby emphasized. I think we’ve seen across baseball and, frankly, across all forms of professional sports, that when you build a ballpark or a stadium in the wrong place, it creates complications.
While the main focus is the new ballpark, the club is also investing in upgrades to its current home, Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, which was damaged by Hurricane Milton. The city is overseeing essential repairs, while the Rays are funding improvements such as refreshed suites, an upgraded sound system, expanded premium seating areas and enhanced food and beverage options.
That’s an easy answer, and that’s because we’re putting our fans first, and we feel like the fans of the Tampa Bay Rays shouldn’t have to wait to have a great fan experience in a new ballpark, Babby explained. I think Tropicana Field is going to look and feel better than it than it has in a long, long time certainly.
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