MLB franchise told to ‘build their own house’ as lawmakers balk at spiralling $2.3bn relocation bill

The Tampa Bay Rays have zeroed in on Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus as the site of their new ballpark.

Tropicana Field will be ready for the 2026 season after extensive repairs following Hurricane Milton.

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But the Rays are desperate to leave St. Petersburg for Tampa and have signed a non-binding memorandum of agreement with Hillsborough College.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal claims the project could cost $2.3 billion.

Who foots the bill is the next item up for discussion.

“I do think Tampa Bay, that’s where the team was berthed. We do it want to see it succeed in this region,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “I think it can succeed. A hundred percent, I think it can succeed.

“Our role can be just to help HC negotiate something that’s going to be good for them and be good for the Rays. And we’re happy to do that.”

Rays stadium cost has shot up

The new arena is slated to cost around $1 billion more than the previous proposal for a stadium in St. Petersburg two years ago.

Tampa Councilman Charlie Miranda put the bill on owner Patrick Zalupski, who bought the franchise for around $1.7 billion in 2025.

“If they have the money to buy it, they should have the money to build their own house,” he said.

Rays CEO Ken Babby told the Hunks Talk Junk podcast that ownership will contribute, but highlighted the need for a solid relationship.

“We’re going to do our part. We’re going to write a big check. We already wrote one to buy the team,” Babby said at the time. “We are going to write another big one to buy the ballpark, but we need a good public-private partnership.”

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The Tampa Sports Authority is expected to vote on whether an economic study is necessary for the city and the county.

“I support any study, but it’s got to be verified,” Miranda said. “I want it statistically from a non-committed organization — not committed to them, not committed to us.

“An unbiased study that’s done so everybody understands where you’re at, including the land that they’re going to have, that they pay no tax. How would, we the city, benefit from that if they weren’t here? It’s got to be a two-way study, it can’t just be one way.”

The Rays have struggled with low attendance despite enjoying relative success for a small-market team.

Their agreement with Hillborough College includes a six-month window for negotiations.

Tampa Bay is under lease to play at The Trop until 2028.

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“What I can say with certainty is that we believe with conviction that we’re going to be able to create a world-class work-live-learn-play development here in Tampa Bay, and we’re very, very encouraged and pleased by today’s outcome,” Babby added.

The Rays won AL East titles in 2008, 2010, 2020 and 2021.

The franchise lost the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.