The rays are declining to continue the new stadium project, confirms the team

The Tampa Bay rays have made the “difficult decision” to stop an agreement of the stadium and the redevelopment of the stadium and the land. The project would have secured the MLB Club’s future in St. Petersburg, Florida, with a state -of -the -art ball park with Tropicana Field.

The current Rays House is undergoing repairs after the stadium roof was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in October. The Rays will host the visiting teams to Steinbrenner Field in 2025. The 11,000 -seater park serves as a Spring Training House in New York Yankees.

Rays’ main owner, Stuart Sternberg, said that “a series of events” in October and funding delays caused “this difficult decision.”

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“After careful deliberation, we have concluded that we cannot advance the new development and development project at this time,” Sternberg said in a statement. “A series of events that began in October that no one could have predicted led to this difficult decision.”

Sternberg added that the organization is still committed to solving its stadium problem.

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“Our commitment to the vitality and success of the organization of the rays is unmatched. We continue to focus on finding a dance solution that serves the best interest in our region, the Basketball of the Major League and our organization.”

“Basketball of the Major League is committed to finding a permanent house for the club in the Tampa Bay region for its fans and the local community,” MLB said in a statement. “The Manfred Commissioner (ROB) understands the disappointment of the St. Petersburg community from today’s announcement, but will continue to work with elected officials, community leaders and rays officials to secure the club’s future in the Tampa Bay region.”

Tropicana Field was opened in 1990 and has been the Casa dels Rays since they took the camp in 1998. St. Petersburg Mayor, Ken Welch, a engine of the part of what was called the initiative “here to stay” for keeping the rays in the city for another 30 years, said that the decision was disappointing, but “it is not unexpected.”

The rays may be sold, he said.

Tropicana Field before a match between the Chicago Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays. (Nathan Ray Seebeck/Usa Today Sports)

“If, in the coming months, a new owner who demonstrates a commitment to pay tribute to his agreements and arises our community priorities, we will consider a collaboration to maintain basketball in St. Pete. But we will not launch the progress of our city while waiting for a collaborative and community -focused baseball partner,” said Welch.

Under his current contract with the city of Saint Petersburg, the rays would play for three more seasons in their existing ball park after repairing it. These repairs are expected to end in time for the 2026 season.

“The city of Saint Petersburg currently advances the plans to restore Tropicana Field for the 2026 season,” said Sternberg. “We appreciate your efforts and are excited to return to our field of house next spring.”

The damaged roof of Tropicana Field, the Tampa Bay House of the Major League Baseball, after the Milton hurricane dropped in the center of Saint Petersburg, FLA., On October 10, 2024. (Reuters/Octavio Jones)

The 30,000 -seat proposed stadium is a piece of signing of a larger $ 6.5 billion revitalization project known as the historic gas plants district, which refers to a predominantly black neighborhood that was forced by the construction of Tropicana Field and an interstate motorway.

The decision of the Rays puts the broadest project to the Limbo.

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The rays had faced a term of March 31 to decide whether to continue with the new Ballpark project. By virtue of the agreement approved by the city and the county of Pinellas, governments would cover approximately half of the cost of the stage of $ 1.3 billion, with the rays and their Hines development partner that covers the rest, including cost expenses.

Associated Press contributed to this report.

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