As Hillsborough College was positioning itself for negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays over a potential new stadium and mixed-use redevelopment at the Dale Mabry Campus, the college submitted a $50 million state funding request for campus improvements.
Zephyrhills Republican Sen. Danny Burgess filed the request Jan. 19, seeking nonrecurring capital outlay funds for major improvements at the Dale Mabry campus. The request came just one day before the Hillsborough College Board of Trustees voted to start negotiations with the Tampa Bay Rays for a potential new stadium at the roughly 130-acre site.
The $50 million request is meant to fund for planning, design, engineering and construction of campus improvements, although it does not mention the potential Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal.
Instead, the request focuses on expanding academic facilities, workforce training programs and student services at the campus, which serves more than 27,000 students. Supported programs would include science and technology, construction trades, allied health, architecture and design, as well as student services, library and assembly space, food service areas, athletic facilities and campus infrastructure.
Construction is projected to begin in November 2026 and conclude in early 2029. The timeline closely aligns with public statements from Rays ownership, which has said it is targeting an April 2029 opening for a new ballpark modeled after Atlanta’s Battery district.
Gov. Ron DeSantis publicly supported the concept of a Hillsborough College-anchored stadium ahead of the Trustees’ vote, calling the idea potentially beneficial for both the college and the region while cautioning that significant details remain unresolved.
The funding request notes that Hillsborough College has not previously received state funding for the project but anticipates seeking additional nonrecurring funds in future years. No matching funds are listed, though the filing cites public-private partnerships as a potential alternative funding source if state dollars are not approved.
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A.G. Gancarski and Janelle Irwin Taylor of Florida Politics contributed to this report.
