Hillsborough County takes first step in Tampa Bay Rays ballpark talks as funding debate emerges

Hillsborough County Commissioners have voted unanimously to authorize negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays, a move that places County Administrator Bonnie Wise at the center of talks that could determine whether Major League Baseball remains in the Tampa Bay region long term. 

The vote empowers Wise to begin formal negotiations with the Rays and their partners over potential public contributions for a proposed ballpark and mixed-use redevelopment at Hillsborough Community College’s Dale Mabry campus. While the action does not commit the county to funding the effort, Commissioners made clear the talks would likely require difficult decisions about financing, including whether voter-approved Community Investment Tax dollars could play a role.

County leaders stressed that Wednesday’s vote was about preserving leverage and gathering information, not approving a stadium deal. Still, several Commissioners acknowledged that the decision carries significant implications, particularly as negotiations move from concept to concrete funding frameworks.

“There have not been any formal negotiations up to this point, while significant progress has been made over the last couple of months,” Chair Ken Hagan told the board. “We have a long way to go in order to get to a place where our board can have an honest debate and discussion on what a framework or agreement would look like.”

The County Commission’s action comes as talks about a new ballpark at Hillsborough College have rapidly accelerated. College Trustees have already approved their own agreement to open up negotiations with the Rays. And on Tuesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly endorsed the effort, outlining potential state support for infrastructure and campus improvements during a press conference at the campus. But he stopped short of committing taxpayer dollars directly to stadium funding. 

Hagan warned that time is a major factor, noting that the Rays’ new ownership group is targeting an aggressive 2029 opening date for a new stadium. If negotiations fail, he said relocation to another market such as Orlando remains a real possibility.

“We do not have the luxury of time,” Hagan said. “Unlike the previous ownership group, the team has a sense of urgency in order to meet their 2029 goal. Candidly, their goal is quite ambitious, and we will see if the team is successful.” 

Wise said the proposal presents a rare opportunity for the county, while cautioning that assembling a workable financing structure will be complex and require coordination among multiple government partners.

“The opportunity to bring the Rays to Hillsborough County is a tremendous one and we’re grateful to be in the position to evaluate such a proposal. This development will be truly transformational for the Drew Park area,” Wise said.

“I was at the city of Tampa over 20 years ago when that CRA was created, and we have seen truly limited growth in that tax base since that time, so it would be a big boost to the Drew Park area. Beyond the new ballpark, the project has the potential to deliver meaningful benefits to the college, job creation, increased tourist taxes and sales taxes and overall economic activity. But at the same time, the work of assembling the financing structure will be challenging and complicated. It will require significant creativity and coordination with the city of Tampa, the Tampa Sports Authority and the team.”

Wise said staff would aim to bring forward a plan that is both fiscally responsible and transparent, guided by principles such as protecting the county’s credit rating and avoiding development risk. Even at this early stage, however, some Commissioners signaled that funding sources — particularly the potential use of Community Investment Tax (CIT) revenue — will be a central point of contention as talks progress.

District 7 Commissioner Joshua Wostal said voters were repeatedly assured during the CIT renewal process that the tax would not be used to build new professional sports facilities. While he agreed to move forward with negotiations, he made his concerns clear.

“We promised everyone, on the public record, that the CIT numbers would be ineligible for the use of new public facilities,” Wostal said. “We have not even begun to collect that tax, and here is a suggestion that we already deceived the taxpayers that we made a promise to no less than two years ago.”

District 6 Commissioner Chris Boles echoed those concerns, saying any use of CIT dollars must be narrowly defined and consistent with voter intent.

“I also supported that renewal with the clear understanding that those CIT dollars remained focused on those priorities, as well as the infrastructure and transportation needs,” Boles said. “I take that responsibility seriously, so any use of those funds must be limited and I think clearly justified.”

Despite the concerns, Commissioners said authorizing negotiations was necessary to avoid prematurely closing the door on the Rays and risking the team’s departure. Hagan acknowledged the funding concerns raised by Commissioners but said negotiations cannot move forward without confronting the reality that CIT funding may need to be part of any viable deal.

“I want to be very honest and transparent, this agreement does not happen without CIT funding,” Hagan said. “It just doesn’t. I want to be honest about that, I don’t want to play games with that.”

District 3 Commissioner Gwen Myers cited her confidence in Wise’s leadership as a key reason for supporting the motion.

“I have known Bonnie for 40 years, she has not changed,” Myers said. “She is not going to throw the county or our taxpayers into something that this county cannot approve or handle.”

Under the motion approved Wednesday, any negotiated terms would return to the County Commission for discussion and approval. For now, the vote signals that Hillsborough County intends to stay at the table — with Wise tasked with navigating high-stakes negotiations that could hinge not only on keeping the Rays in Tampa Bay, but on whether Commissioners and voters can ultimately accept how the deal is funded.