The Tampa Bay Rays agreed to cover at least half of the cost for the proposed stadium to be constructed on the site of Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus.
The team’s offer is part of a document titled “Update on Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark Discussions” that was added to the schedule of Wednesday’s meeting of the Hillsborough County Commission. According to the document, the team also accepted responsibility for construction cost overruns on the stadium, along with maintenance and future improvements once the venue is opened.
The document added the new stadium would be “immune from property taxes,” an agreement that is in place at Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium, Steinbrenner Field, and Benchmark International Arena.
No budget has been set for the project, and it is not clear where or how public funds will be incorporated into the stadium’s construction.
“It is important to note there have been no negotiations with the Rays’ new ownership,” the document said. “While the Rays have requested information about potential funding sources as part of researching and evaluating options for a ballpark site and financing options, the singular purpose of those requests has been to determine whether a feasible framework exists on which to predicate future negotiations of business terms.”
