The Tampa Bay Rays are expected to announce a deal Tuesday for a new stadium that would see the team remain in St. Petersburg, Fla., according to the Tampa Bay Times. Here’s what you need to know:
- The stadium is expected to have a fixed dome, seat around 30,000 people and open in 2028, the Tampa Bay Times reports.
- The Rays’ 30-year lease on their current stadium, Tropicana Field, will end in 2027. The new stadium will be built near the Trop as part of the redevelopment of downtown St. Petersburg’s Historic Gas Plant District.
- Costs for the new stadium are reportedly expected to exceed $1.2 billion and be paid for with contributions from the Rays, the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County.
- The Rays have searched for a new stadium site for more than 10 years while annually being near the bottom of Major League Baseball in attendance. In 2022, MLB rejected a plan for the Rays to split home games between Florida and Montreal.
This story will be updated.
(Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck / USA Today)
