Overview
- City council members on Monday, July 27 declined to transmit the land‑use amendment for state review and removed a planned Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency vote on a proposed $100 million contribution from their August agenda, halting two scheduled procedural steps.
- The project remains a nonbinding May memorandum that frames a roughly $2.3 billion development with the Rays pledged to pay more than $1.2 billion and potential public support capped near $976 million, but the exact split among county, city and the CRA is not settled.
- Rays CEO Ken Babby released new renderings showing a domed, 30,000‑seat ‘Forever Home’ built for year‑round events and began one‑on‑one meetings with council members, starting with Bill Carlson, to try to repair relations and advance approvals.
- Mayor Jane Castor publicly criticized council members for stalling the process and said some were trying to kill the plan, while council members said they will not advance major votes without seeing final legal and financial agreements.
- The clock is tight because the Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field ends in 2028, polls show strong county voter support for the move, and officials warn the pause could shift more public cost to Hillsborough County or delay construction beyond the 2029 goal.