While the Tampa Bay Rays attempt to secure $1 billion in public funding to build a new stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have making inquiries for $1 billion in public funding to renovate their home field Raymond James Stadium.
The Tampa Bay Times, sourcing its coverage from two unnamed officials with the Tampa Sports Authority, reports the football team proposed paying for one-third of the renovation costs, with the public financing the other two-thirds of the project. The renovations would include the installation of a sunshade at the open-air venue.
Tampa Sports Authority President and CEO Eric Hart said he expected the team to request between $700 million and $1.3 billion in renovations to Raymond James Stadium. The agency previously budgeted $58 million for projects at the stadium, and it is unclear if it will be possible to accommodate both the Buccaneers and the Rays in their respective stadium projects.
“I think most of us have talked to the Buccaneers at this point, and we’re going to be writing a very large check in the very near future for Raymond James Stadium,” said Tony Muniz, a board member at the Tampa Sports Authority, during a meeting on Tuesday. “And that’s our priority. We have to always remember that. I think that we need to take care of Raymond James before we go out and try to convince the Rays to stay in Tampa Bay.”
Muniz added that he requested the Hillsborough County Commission take a “very hard” look at what the county would provide from the Community Investment Tax for the Buccaneers before revenues that exceed those initial estimates can be channeled to the Rays.
Photo courtesy Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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