Tampa Bay Rays Stadium Deal at a Crossroads: Tampa Negotiations, State Funding, and Orlando Contingency

The Tampa Bay Rays are pursuing a $2.3 billion ballpark on the Hillsborough College site near Dale Mabry Highway. The proposal hinges on a funding package exceeding $1 billion and a memorandum of understanding expected by June 1, while a parallel relocation effort targets Orlando.

Billionaire John Morgan says he’d help bring Rays to Orlando if Tampa deal falls apart

Negotiations involve Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, and Rays’ ownership led by managing partner Patrick Zalupski. Billionaire attorney John Morgan, an associate of a Rays owner, has pledged financial support for an Orlando move. Gov. Ron DeSantis backs the Tampa plan; Sen. Ed Hooper, chair of the Senate Budget Committee, oversees state funding.

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May 5 – city-council workshop; May 20 – county commission meeting; May 27 – budget workshop; June 1 – memorandum deadline; May 29 – state budget vote; July 1 – fiscal year start. Funding totals $2.3 billion, with $251 million from Tampa, over $1 billion sought locally, and a $150 million state request to rebuild Hillsborough College.

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Sen. Hooper said state money will be withheld until local agreements are finalized. Gov. DeSantis emphasized that state dollars should fund transportation or the college, not the stadium. Rays CEO Ken Babby confirmed the memorandum remains under negotiation and is optimistic for a pre-June 1 resolution. Tampa Sports Authority member Joe Robinson noted funding will likely follow commitment.

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Councilman Charlie Miranda warned that Tampa’s roads are “nowhere near anything but poor,” questioning the wisdom of allocating billions to a stadium. Community voices fear public funds could be diverted from essential services, despite proponents citing job creation and long-term tax revenue.

Billionaire John Morgan says he’d help bring Rays to Orlando if Tampa deal falls apart

Sources differ on the funding target, describing it as “roughly $1 billion” and “more than $1 billion.” The $150 million state request for the college is absent from the initial budget proposal, leaving its status unclear. The timeline for interlocal financing agreements remains undefined before the June 1 deadline.

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• “They don’t have the votes over there. And the Lightning want stuff. The Bucs want stuff.” — John Morgan, billionaire attorney

Billionaire John Morgan says he’d help bring Rays to Orlando if Tampa deal falls apart

• “Do we want to sink money into rehabbing old buildings and do all this deferred maintenance, or do we just want to reimagine the campus and do something that can be really special?” — Gov. Ron DeSantis

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• “... I would say I'm 99% sure we're going to reach a deal, that this is going to come to a conclusion.” — Alan Clendenin, City Council Chair

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• “The locals, Hillsborough County and the city, there seems to be some heartburn at the request, and until they resolve that, I don’t think the state needs to be involved,” — Sen. Ed Hooper

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The county commission and city council will vote on financing agreements in late May and early June. The state budget, including any college appropriation, is slated for a May 29 vote. The Dreamers group, backed by Anna Eskamani, is preparing a proposal that could tap the tourist development tax if Tampa negotiations collapse.

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