TAMPA, Fla. — New details could emerge today about where the Tampa Bay Rays may play in the future.
The Hillsborough College District Board of Trustees is holding a special meeting on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the possibility of the Rays moving to the Dale Mabry Campus in Tampa.
According to the meeting agenda, the Rays approached the college about using a portion of the campus for a proposed stadium and mixed-use development.
While no decisions have been made, the meeting signals a potential major development in the long-running stadium debate and a possible move for the team across the bridge.
For students currently attending Hillsborough College, the idea alone has raised concerns about what a stadium project could mean for their education.
“I feel like the school is really good and it's given us so many opportunities like softball scholarships for athletes here, so I feel like it would be a waste to have a stadium here,” said Angelica Castro.
Other students worry a stadium could disrupt campus life or replace existing opportunities.
From an economic development standpoint, experts say the proposal could be a game-changer for Hillsborough County and the Rays.
John Boyd is an economic development expert with the Boyd Company.
“This represents an excellent economic development opportunity for Hillsborough County, for the entire Tampa Bay market,” said Boyd.
Boyd said the Rays playing at Hillsborough College would bring in more jobs and more revenue.
Boyd said, “The model that the Rays have looked to is the Atlanta Braves and their Truist Park battery complex….. The battery has generated over 70 million dollars of non-baseball revenue. We expect even greater economic impact for the Rays.”
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, who has long supported bringing the Rays to Tampa, reiterated her stance ahead of the meeting.
“We don’t want to lose Major League Baseball. We love the Tampa Bay Rays, and we want them to stay in this region. Hopefully in the city of Tampa,” Mayor Castor said.
We also reached out to the city of St. Pete and Hillsborough College, but did not hear back.
According to the agenda, trustees will discuss the Rays' request to use campus property and note that the project would result in a major transformation of the campus.
The special meeting begins at 4 p.m. We will continue to follow the discussion and bring you updates as soon as new information becomes available.
This is a developing story. Tampa Bay 28 will provide more details as they become available.
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