The Brief

The Tampa Bay Rays held a community meeting at Hillsborough College designed for feedback on their proposed $2.3 billion ballpark.

Team leaders hope to break ground later this year and open the new stadium by the spring of 2029.

The next community engagement session will be held Tuesday, March 10 at Jefferson High School.

TAMPA – The Tampa Bay Rays held a community engagement session on Tuesday night to discuss a proposed ballpark at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus.

Fans, students and nearby neighbors gathered at the campus to hear details about the proposal. The meeting began with a video presentation showing renderings of the proposed stadium and the surrounding area.

Advertisement

Bill Apgar, a Rays fan from Oldsmar, came with countless questions.

“Is it going to be a safe environment?” he asked. “Is it going to be an environment that builds a community and are they going to have adequate parking?”

What they’re saying

Rays CEO Ken Babby said these meetings were designed to create an open dialogue with the community.

“This is a community conversation, an open conversation, an opportunity for us to gain feedback,” he said.

The proposed stadium site is projected to cost about $2.3 billion. The Rays have committed to covering about half of the cost.

Advertisement

Although, it remains unclear where the rest of the funding would come from.

Hillsborough College President Ken Atwater said the proposal could transform the campus and expand opportunities for students.

“Everyone is aware that the Rays are really going to become a part of Hillsborough College,” he said.

Timeline

Team leaders hope to break ground on the project later this year. If construction moves forward as planned, the first pitch could take place in the spring of 2029.

Sydney Weed, a lifelong Rays fan, was encouraged by plans to connect the stadium with the college community.

“It’s really cool to see how they want to incorporate the community and the students here at HCC,” she said.

Babby believes this project could have a long-term impact across the Tampa Bay region.

Advertisement

“This is a multigenerational moment for Tampa Bay,” he concluded. “It’s about creating something that’s much bigger than baseball.”

READ: Gov. DeSantis, cabinet designates 22 acres at Hillsborough College into Rays stadium talks

What’s next

The next two meetings will be held on Tuesday, March 10th and Wednesday, March 11th:

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Jefferson High School Auditorium

4401 W Cypress St. Tampa, FL 33607

Wednesday, March 11, 2026

5107 N 22nd St. Tampa, FL 33610

The Source

Information for this article was gathered from past stories by FOX13 and an article written by the Tampa Bay Times.