Amid concerns, $6.5 billion Rays stadium deal heads to final vote on Thursday

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Amid concerns, $6.5 billion Rays stadium deal heads to final vote on Thursday

Flexible language around promises to bring affordable housing to the area and the lack of transparency on the Tampa Bay Rays partnership agreements are at the top of city council members' minds.

St. Petersburg City Council members met as the Committee of the Whole (COW) Tuesday morning to analyze the details and recent tweaks made to agreements for both the proposed Rays stadium and the Historic Gas Plant redevelopment just two days before they cast their final vote.

The $6.5 billion development, which is being spearheaded by The Rays and Hines, would transform 86 acres in the heart of downtown St. Pete into an 8-million-square-foot mixed-use district anchored by a new ballpark - becoming the largest project to ever commence in Tampa Bay. 

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Done Deals: Rays select construction firm for new ballpark, Stella’s expands in Gulfport, Mid-century home lists

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Done Deals: Rays select construction firm for new ballpark, Stella’s expands in Gulfport, Mid-century home lists

Done Deals is a weekly column by St. Pete Rising spotlighting recent real estate market insight and significant deals happening in the Sunshine City and beyond. The following information is sourced from public records and trusted intel.

Have real estate news to share? Send us an email at hello@stpeterising.com.

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$1.3 billion Rays stadium preliminarily approved by St. Pete City Council, final vote set for July

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$1.3 billion Rays stadium preliminarily approved by St. Pete City Council, final vote set for July

Who's picking up the tab for the new Tampa Bay Rays's $1.3 billion ballpark, where’s that funding is coming from, and other lingering questions were answered this week during a seven-hour-long discussion.

On Wednesday morning, St. Pete City Councilmembers, Mayor Ken Welch, and Rays executives hashed out the details of the stadium agreement during a Committee of the Whole workshop meeting.

On Thursday, St. Petersburg City Council preliminarily voted 5-3 to approve a development agreement for the new Rays stadium. The opposing votes came from Councilmembers Hanewicz, Muhammad, and Floyd.

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Rays and Hines inch closer to striking deal with city on Gas Plant development agreement

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Rays and Hines inch closer to striking deal with city on Gas Plant development agreement

A nine-hour discussion ensued Thursday as St. Pete City Council members meticulously combed through the Tampa Bay Rays and Hines' 183-page development agreement for the Historic Gas Plant District. 

It took over a decade and countless hours of negotiations to reach this milestone conversation about the $6.5 billion development that will transform 86 acres in the heart of downtown St. Pete into an 8-million-square-foot mixed-use district anchored by a new ballpark - becoming the largest project to ever commence in Tampa Bay. 

If ultimately approved, the new 30,000-seat enclosed stadium will open in 2028 as part of the first phase of the 30-year planned development.

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Rays and Hines release new renderings of Gas Plant District redevelopment

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Rays and Hines release new renderings of Gas Plant District redevelopment

New renderings released today by the Tampa Bay Rays and Hines reveal an activated Booker Creek, Class A office space, and an art installation that will pay homage to the history of the Historic Gas Plant District.

The detailed renderings were unveiled during a Committee of the Whole meeting as councilmembers were beginning to examine and inquire about the terms and language of the draft development agreement with the joint venture partners.

In total, the project will include nearly 8 million square feet of mixed-use development and cost north of $6.5 billion over 20 years.

It will be the largest mixed-use development project in Tampa Bay history.

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