Poll finds support for Rays’ move to Tampa, and for the officials who back it

Supporters of a Tampa Bay Rays ballpark have spent the past week trying to win over a skeptical Tampa City Council after members stalled two major pieces of the proposed deal.

A new poll conducted by The Tyson Group suggests that Hillsborough County residents may be easier to persuade.

The survey found 67% of likely county voters support moving the Rays to a new ballpark near Raymond James Stadium. More importantly for the elected officials who will ultimately decide the project’s fate, 61% said they would look more favorably on an official who voted for it.

That finding gives the Rays concrete data to bring into negotiations as team leaders meet directly with Council Members following last week’s setbacks.

The poll does not resolve questions about whether Tampa and Hillsborough County can afford the deal, or whether the proposed public contribution is justified. But it suggests there is significant public appetite for the project, particularly when it is presented as more than a place to watch baseball.

Support rose to 75% after voters heard about the broader pitch to redevelop portions of Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus, adding restaurants and entertainment, generating new tax revenue and having the Rays’ owners cover a share of construction costs.

Eighty-two percent said a partnership to update the campus and provide students with internships and career opportunities would make them more likely to support the project.

Seventy-eight percent responded favorably to messaging saying the owners would pay a significant share of construction costs and that the deal would not require a local tax increase. 

Other messages cited projections of $6 billion in tax revenue, 11,900 jobs and year-round activity around the ballpark. 

Among Tampa voters, 77% said new restaurants, nightlife and entertainment near Raymond James Stadium would make them more likely to support the proposal.

The finding also crossed party lines. According to the survey, 65% of Republicans, 60% of independents and 58% of Democrats said they would view elected officials who vote “yes” on the project favorably.

The poll surveyed 400 likely Hillsborough County voters by live telephone June 16-19. The poll has a margin of error of approximately 4.9 percentage points.

The Tyson Group describes the final 75% figure as a “+8% jump over the course of our survey from the initial 67% support to an informed 75% support,” but the messages detailed in the memo all make the case for the development and do not present possible detractions.

The survey was conducted before the latest public fight over the deal at Tampa City Hall on Thursday of last week.

Tampa and Hillsborough County have approved a nonbinding framework for a roughly $2.3 billion ballpark and surrounding district at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus. The plan calls for the Rays to contribute more than $1.2 billion and cover construction overruns, while local public contributions could reach as much as $976 million.

That includes up to $796 million from Hillsborough County, $80 million from the city of Tampa and a proposed $100 million contribution from the Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency.

But a City Council that is still not convinced dealt the project two setbacks last week.

Acting as the CRA Board, Tampa City Council Members voted 5-2 to remove the agency’s proposed contribution from its Aug. 20 agenda. Members said the Rays should negotiate directly with the CRA and return with a more complete proposal before asking for a vote.

Hours later, the City Council voted 4-3 against transmitting a land-use amendment for the Hillsborough College property to state agencies for review. The decision did not reject the ballpark or its financing plan, but it stopped the amendment from advancing under the anticipated timeline.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor accused some Council Members of trying to derail the proposal before negotiations were finished. Council Members have argued that they were being asked to advance major pieces of the project without seeing final agreements or having a direct role in negotiations.

The Rays have since begun negotiating with City Council Members. CEO Ken Babby met with Tampa City Council Member Bill Carlson on Friday and told him he plans to speak with other Council Members as well in good faith effort to close the deal.