The Tampa Bay Rays are one step closer to remaining in St. Petersburg, Fla., for good.
The St. Petersburg City Council approved the Rays' $1.3 billion ballpark project on Thursday by a 5–3 margin. The ballpark, which would replace Tropicana Field in downtown St. Petersburg, is not a done deal yet—it still needs to be approved by the Pinellas County Commission—but it is expected to get the green light in the upcoming July 30 vote.
The Rays will contribute about $700 million to the project, with the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County supplying the rest. If approved, the ballpark is expected to open in 2028 with a capacity of 30,000 fans, which would make it the smallest MLB park in terms of seats.
The St. Petersburg City Council has approved the Rays new $1.3B stadium, per @Colleen_Wright pic.twitter.com/mozMTS4sbw
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) July 18, 2024
Tampa Bay has played at Tropicana Field since the franchise was first established in 1998. The Rays have ranked 27th or worse in average attendance for home games every season since 2011. Tampa Bay ranks 28th in attendance this season with an average of 16,627 fans per game.
The Rays are expected to sign a 30-year lease at the new stadium.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Rays' Proposed $1.3 Billion Ballpark Approved by St. Petersburg City Council.
