Tampa City Council to Vote on $2.3 B Rays Stadium Deal Next Week

After reaching agreement on the financial structure, the Tampa Bay Rays' stadium plan moves to a council vote on Aug. 27. The $2.3 billion project allocates $976 million of public money and requires several legal documents, including a clause preventing the team from taking public funds and then leaving. Council Chair Alan Clendenin confirmed the agreements are in place, while Hillsborough County Chair Ken Hagan said the county will vote shortly after the city council, estimating an 85 percent likelihood of passage.

The proposed venue would be a 31,000-seat domed ballpark, the smallest permanent MLB stadium, with revenue expected from nearby apartments, hotels and restaurants rather than ticket sales. The site would sit across from the Buccaneers stadium and adjacent to Steinbrenner Field, the Yankees' spring-training complex where the Rays played in 2025.