Pinellas County Commission Approves Funding for New Tampa Bay Rays Ballpark

After nearly two months of delays, the Pinellas County Commission has voted in favor of financing for a new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays ballpark. This decision is part of a comprehensive plan aimed at keeping the team in St. Petersburg for another 30 years.

The "Here To Stay" plan was initially approved by the county commission and city officials in St. Petersburg over the summer. However, votes on the funding were more contentious and experienced delays. Earlier this month, the St. Petersburg City Council approved its share of the bonds required to build the new 30,000-seat ballpark.

On Tuesday, the county commission voted 5-2 in favor of funding the project through tourist or "bed" taxes, which are not allocated for uses such as hurricane recovery. Under the agreement, the city and county will cover about half of the ballpark's cost, while the Rays will handle the remaining expenses, including any cost overruns.

"We're upholding our part of the bargain," City Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders said during a recent meeting. "We said we were going to do this. We're doing it. Now what you got?"

The county's share of the bond financing, approved on Tuesday, amounts to approximately $312.5 million. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred recently met with several skeptical commissioners to emphasize the project's significance and the league's commitment to maintaining a team in the Tampa Bay area. "He is committed to this market. Rob Manfred is the reason I am voting yes on this today," Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala stated.

With the financing now in place, the Tampa Bay Rays and their supporters can look forward to a new state-of-the-art ballpark that will serve as a long-term home for the team in St. Petersburg.