Tampa Bay Rays offer glimpse into proposed ballpark with newly updated renderings
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - The Tampa Bay Rays may not have a name for their new stadium, but the team is giving a more detailed look at what the Rays ballpark is going to offer fans.
On Thursday, the Major League Baseball team, along with design firm Populous, released new renderings and more details about the Rays neighborhood ballpark that will be at the heart of the Historic Gas Plant District Development.
According to the Rays, the approximately 30,000-seat new ballpark will be the most intimate of all the MLB’s teams by bringing the outside in with windows and porches, a fixed roof, large windows that wrap around the building, as well as doorways and terraces that connect the inside and the outside. The new renderings show a large glass wall in center field so fans can see in and out.
Porches play a key role in the venue’s design. The front porch historically played an integral social role in the former Gas Plant neighborhood and across St. Petersburg. The ballpark’s front porch will open up to a main plaza acting as a community gathering space within the Historic Gas Plant District.
The Rays are promising stadium seats that hug the infield, with a roof above the seating to make it feel more intimate than the Trop, but that will go to 240 feet above the field, which means no more fly balls off the roof. Plus, the Rays plan on having a new touch tank and say the outside of the stadium will match the scale of the rest of the city.
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"You're going to have a destination that really is going to define St. Pete for generations to come," St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said in Sept. of 2023.
According to the Rays, the new venue will also host a variety of special events including concerts, festivals, conferences, and graduations throughout the year.
"Designing this next-generation major league ballpark and development together within the heart of a great city is something that has never been done before," said Populous Principal Architect Zach Allee. "The opportunity to do something unique, innovative, and authentic for St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay Rays fans is truly exciting."
READ: Community groups, residents urge St. Pete to strike better deal for Rays stadium, redevelopment
When complete, the entire project will include upwards of 8 million square feet of development, including more than 5,000 residential units, 600 affordable/workforce housing units on the site and another 650 units elsewhere in the city, 1.4 million square feet of office/medical space, and 750 hotel rooms.
City councilors will hear for the first time on June 12 the details of the stadium funding plan, which includes $287 million from city bonds.
Those bonds will be backed by nearly $400 million in debt paid for by proceeds from the rest of the development, assuming councilors approve that as well.
"I would love to have this all wrapped up in July and be able to get moving forward with a project that we can all agree on," said councilor Gina Driscoll. "But at the end of the day, it takes what it takes."
The city then hopes to hammer out final agreements with the Rays and the Hines development group over the stadium and the rest of the development, and have council approve them on July 11.
"I'm confident we're putting the adequate amount of time into it to do all the reviews and make sure we do our due diligence, but we absolutely want to make sure that council is comfortable as well," Welch said.
Several councilors have expressed concern over affordable housing and whether the plan forces the developers to finish the job.
"We are hearing that the Rays Hines Group has heard the concerns from City Council, and I'm looking forward to getting that next briefing to see how things are moving along," said Driscoll. "But I'm feeling optimistic right now."
FOX 13 also asked Welch about some of the feedback from the community opposed to aspects of the project and whether it was taken into consideration.
"We're always listening, but there are some things that are fundamental," Welch said. "This will be a private-public partnership. If you don't believe in public-private partnerships, we're not going to be able to address your concerns, because that's just not the way forward. But, we are listening on other things that might make sense for us."
The St. Petersburg City Council and the Pinellas County Commission are expected to vote on the ballpark and development agreements in July.
Construction on the ballpark will start in January 2025, and it will be ready for Opening Day 2028.
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