TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays released Thursday the initial renderings of the proposed ballpark and mixed-use district at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus.
Tampa Bay 28 reporter Jada Williams was at the Feb. 4 Hillsborough Board of County Commissioners' meeting where Commission Chairman Ken Hagan provided an update on the Tampa Bay Rays' plans to build a proposed $2.3 billion ballpark, mixed-use area and new campus at the Hillsborough College Dale Mabry campus.
The new images show off various vantage points of the ballpark.
"I’m incredibly grateful for what our organization and the Tampa community have accomplished in just over 100 days since acquiring the team, and of the progress we are making together toward a Forever Home for the Rays and our loyal fans," said Patrick Zalupski, Managing Partner of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Chief Executive Officer of the Rays Ken Babby added, "Our community can be assured, however, that we want the ballpark and district design to reflect the voices of the people who live, work, study, and operate businesses here. In that spirit, we look forward to meeting and listening to as many people from across Tampa Bay as we can in the weeks ahead."
Recently, the Hillsborough College Board of Trustees approved a Memorandum of Understanding with the Rays to redevelop the Dale Mabry campus as part of a new ballpark district, and the Hillsborough County Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to begin negotiations with the Rays on proposed ballpark funding.
Late last month, Tampa Bay 28 reporter Erik Waxler spoke with an expert who studies the financial agreements between professional sports teams and the cities that host them.
According to the Rays release, "the project is envisioned as a public–private partnership, with ballpark costs shared between the team, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa. The broader, multi-billion-dollar, mixed-use development will be 100 percent privately financed."
Additionally, the Rays, Hillsborough College, and local officials are set to host a series of community engagement sessions across the county. According to the release, the "meetings will give baseball fans, Hillsborough College students and faculty, nearby residents, and community and business leaders opportunities to review the evolving concepts, ask questions, and share feedback that will help shape the final design."
Details on these meetings have yet to be released.
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