Senate carries $50M Hillsborough College request, setting up budget talks over Rays-linked campus plan

The Senate is carrying a $50 million funding request for redevelopment at Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus tied to a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays.

That sets up negotiations with the House, which left the proposal out of its budget plan.

The Senate’s proposed spending plan includes a $50 million appropriations request by Zephyrhills Republican Sen. Danny Burgess on behalf of Hillsborough College for planning, design, engineering and construction at the college’s Dale Mabry campus tied to a redevelopment proposal by the Tampa Bay Rays.

While the funding request does not explicitly reference a stadium, its timing and location closely align with ongoing negotiations between Hillsborough College and the Tampa Bay Rays over a potential new ballpark and mixed-use redevelopment at the roughly 130-acre Dale Mabry campus.

The Senate budget includes the project as a standalone line item for Hillsborough College campus improvements. The House’s proposal, however, did not contain any line item specifically allocating $50 million to Hillsborough College for the Dale Mabry campus project, leaving the fate of the request uncertain heading into budget negotiations.

Burgess’ filing states that funds would support improvements at the college’s largest campus, which serves more than 27,000 students and offers more than 40 programs of study. Construction is projected to begin in November 2026 and conclude in early 2029 — a timeline that aligns with public statements from Rays ownership targeting an April 2029 opening for a new ballpark.

The request outlines upgrades including academic facilities, workforce training space, allied health and construction trades programs, as well as college athletic facilities and campus infrastructure.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has already publicly endorsed the stadium concept during a news conference at the Dale Mabry campus. DeSantis outlined potential state actions, including conveying state-owned land to the college and assisting with infrastructure needs, but stopped short of committing direct state dollars to stadium construction.

Instead, he said reinvestment in the college campus itself — particularly addressing aging facilities and deferred maintenance — is a more appropriate avenue for state participation in the project.

Hillsborough County elected officials have also started exploring local financing options — including the possibility that voter-approved Community Investment Tax dollars could play a role. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor has also voiced support for the Rays ballpark.

The Senate’s decision to carry the full $50 million request keeps the Hillsborough College redevelopment effort alive in this year’s budget talks, although lawmakers will need to resolve the difference during end-of-Session budget conference negotiations before sending a final budget proposal to the Governor for final approval.