TAMPA, Fla — The Hillsborough County Board of Commissioners is set to vote Friday on nearly $800 million in public funding for the Tampa Bay Rays' proposed new ballpark at the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College.
The vote comes one day after Tampa City Council approved its portion of the funding plan in a 4-3 vote, committing $80 million through a loan — a significant reduction from the $180 million the Rays initially requested.
The county's share, which would come through existing taxes and funds, dwarfs the city's contribution, coming in at just under $800 million dollars in public funding. It represents the larger financial hurdle in the two-part approval process.
WATCH: Hillsborough Co. commissioners to vote on $800M Rays ballpark funding plan
Rays CEO Ken Babby said the city council vote marked a critical milestone.
"It was nearly 14 weeks ago that we were in the room here and voted on an MOU. Today is a really important step forward in securing the forever home of the Tampa Bay Rays right here in Tampa," Babby said.
The plan would relocate the Rays from St. Petersburg to the Dale Mabry campus of Hillsborough College. Either governing body voting no would have posed a major obstacle to the project moving forward.
The Board of Commissioners meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. at the Fred B. Karl County Center in downtown Tampa.
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