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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.
Details about the source of the funds were not disclosed, but Lisa Brock of Brock Communications, the group’s PR firm, says donors have, to date, pledged $16 million per year over a 10-year period.
According to a press release, Tampa Bay Rays 2020 has also formed leadership committees, headed by executives in key industries, that will expand the organization’s reach. Leaders include:
Tampa Bay Rays 2020 also announced the formation of an 11-member steering committee called Friends of the Rays that, according to the release, will work to secure small- to medium-sized sponsorships and community-based partnerships.
“These committees came about as a result of the community’s interest and sheer willingness to do what they can to involve friends and colleagues,” states Ron Christaldi, co-chairman of Tampa Bay Rays 2020, in the release. “It’s all very exciting because community and business support is crucial to our success.”
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