TAMPA, Fla. — With Hillsborough County approving a non-binding agreement on the Rays’ $2.3-billion stadium on Wednesday, the Tampa City Council was up to bat Thursday.
By a 4-3 vote, the council on Thursday afternoon gave its support to the stadium proposal memo, which is currently a non-binding agreement.
ABOVE: Hear from Council members on their voting decisions
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The no votes were cast by Charlie Miranda, Guido Maniscalco and Lynn Hurtak. Voting yes were Alan Clendenin, Naya Young, Luis Viera and Bill Carlson, though Carlson said he would ultimately vote no on the final project.
“The Tampa City Council today sent a strong and positive message to our community by approving the non-binding Memorandum of Understanding and saying ‘yes’ to a Forever Home ballpark and the generational transformation for Tampa Bay that will follow,” the team said in a statement released shortly after the vote.
“We appreciate the thoughtful engagement with City Council members and staff throughout this process, which from the start was focused on one common goal – arrive at an agreement that is smart, fair and a win for everyone. With this step complete, the Rays now look forward to working with Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa as we move toward final agreements that will secure Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for current and future generations.”
On Wednesday, in a 5-2 vote, the county commission approved a memorandum of understanding related to the building of a new stadium.
Also Wednesday, the Hillsborough College District Board of Trustees voted to approve moving forward with the ground lease as part of the next step in its partnership with the team.
The Rays are seeking $976 million in public contributions to the project, with $796 million from the county and $180 million from the city.
Team officials say they want to be in the new facility, targeted for the Hillsborough College campus on Dale Mabry Highway in time for the 2029 season.