Hillsborough County advances Rays stadium talks Hillsborough County advances Rays stadium talks

The effort to build a new stadium for the Rays in Tampa moved forward on Wednesday as Hillsborough County commissioners agreed to keep the talks moving and they could begin speeding up. FOX 13’s Evan Axelbank reports. 

TAMPA – The high-stakes effort to secure a new home for the Tampa Bay Rays moved to the Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners on Wednesday. Officials reviewed a framework for how the public could fund part of a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium at the Hillsborough College (HC) Dale Mabry campus.

What we know:

Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan told his colleagues that 10 million people could be drawn to a new development at Hillsborough College.

READ: Tampa Bay Rays backed by DeSantis, MLB commissioner for potential stadium deal with Hillsborough College

“That’s more visitors than attend Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios,” said Hagan. “Just think about that for a moment.”

He presented some early financial parameters as the Rays plan to build a $2.3 billion stadium across the street from Raymond James Stadium. The public could put in half.

The backstory:

Its inspiration that the Battery development in Atlanta would pale in comparison. The Braves are on 74 acres, whereas HC would be 120 acres, and Atlanta’s two million square feet would become eight million.

“We do not have the luxury of time,” said Hagan. “Unlike the previous ownership group, the team has a sense of urgency in order to meet their 2029 goal.”

The question is how the county will come up with their $1.15 billion share. 

According to county documents, the Rays have identified several “non-general fund” streams to cover the public’s half of the bill, including:

Tourist Development Tax (The “6th Cent”): Revenue collected from hotel stays and short-term rentals.Westshore Hotel Special Assessment Fee: A targeted fee authorized by the City of Tampa.Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Funds: Property tax revenue generated specifically by new development within the project area.Facility Surcharges: Ticket surcharges and facility rent charges paid by those using the stadium.

Hagan said they can’t start actual talks until the Rays give revenue projections, which hint at the use of a special taxing district. The county could also approve the use of Community Investment Tax dollars, which are collected from half a penny of sales taxes. 

The other side:

Some commissioners said that’s not even allowed, nor appropriate.

“That would absolutely potentially impact our ability to fund all of the many fire stations that we promised in our renewal and public safety elements for the sheriff,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Josh Wostal.

A conflict is brewing, with Hagan saying the use of CIT dollars will be near-mandatory.

“This agreement does not happen without CIT funding,” said Hagan. “It just doesn’t. So, I want to be honest about that.”

Why you should care:

The proposed stadium is the anchor for a massive redevelopment of the HCC campus. Beyond baseball, the plan includes a “mobility makeover” for the Dale Mabry corridor and the creation of a special taxing district. 

If successful, this district would allow the redevelopment to essentially “fund itself” through the tax revenue it generates, theoretically protecting residents from a direct tax hike.

What’s next:

But in the end, all seven commissioners agreed to continue talks with the Rays, with the understanding that any agreement would be complicated. The public ask could be the biggest in history for a stadium. 

Hagan highlighted the entire development, beyond the stadium, could be between $8 billion and $10 billion, far surpassing downtown’s Water Street development, which was spearheaded by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2015.

“This motion gives us the opportunity to pursue an idea, pursue something that is not available to any other major market in this country right now,” said Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen.

The Rays are planning to release stadium renderings in the coming days. They have six months to hammer out an agreement for the land at HC, with negotiations expected to begin very soon.

The Source: Information for this report was gathered from today’s Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) regular meeting agenda and documents as well as interviews with Hillsborough Commissioner Ken Hagan and a press conference held by Governor Ron DeSantis and MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred.

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