Florida Grants 22 Acres to Hillsborough College for Potential Rays Ballpark Site

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet approved transferring 22 acres of state-owned land to Hillsborough College on Tuesday. The site could house a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark. Attorney General James Uthmeier, Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson voted yes.

"For Hillsborough College to potentially do a deal that would be beneficial to them and for the overall economy and community with the Rays and all the stuff that would come with that, I think that would be very exciting," DeSantis said, according to the St. Pete Catalyst.

No state money will go toward construction. DeSantis made this clear last January during a press conference in Pinellas Park — Florida doesn't pay for stadiums from state coffers. If development benchmarks aren't met within five years of transfer, the state can take back the property.

The Rays thanked the governor in a statement. "The support by Governor DeSantis and the Cabinet today underlines our belief in the power of this generational project, and the many lasting benefits it will deliver. Our momentum is real and growing," the team said.

This approval bolsters a tentative, non-binding agreement between the team and Hillsborough College. Either party can still back out. The school must now find money for the ballpark, which would require redesigning the Dale Mabry campus's 113 acres.

Cost estimates for the new stadium start at $2 billion. Some projections go higher. Tropicana Field dome repairs, by comparison, were estimated at $60 million and came in under budget through insurance and FEMA funding.

DeSantis has said his main goal is keeping the team in Florida. He mentioned Orlando as a possible alternative market in January, citing its entertainment infrastructure. "I have no doubt. You have a reservoir, there are millions of people, and a high affinity for baseball," he said about the Tampa Bay area in January.

The club is scheduled to play at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg through 2028. The proposed Hillsborough ballpark has a 2029 completion target.