Tampa Bay Rays’ $892 million Ybor City dream edges closer to reality

Advocacy group says $160 million has been pledged toward a new stadium for the team.

By Business Observer Staff
| 1:38 p.m. November 20, 2018
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A rendering of the Tampa Bay Rays proposal for a new stadium in Ybor City, Tampa. Courtesy photo.

Tampa Bay-Lakeland

TAMPA — Tampa Bay Rays 2020, a nonprofit group of business and community leaders facilitating support for a new Rays stadium in Ybor City, has secured $160 million in support for the project.

The Rays play home games at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg and face a Dec. 31 deadline to inform St. Pete officials whether they intend to leave prior to the end of their lease in 2027. In July, Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg released plans for a fixed-roof, 28,000-seat stadium that would cost $892 million to build.