Pinellas County Commission approves $312.5M in bonds for new Rays stadium in St. Petersburg

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Pinellas County Commission approves $312.5M in bonds for new Rays stadium in St. Petersburg

After a two-month delay, the Pinellas County Commission has voted to honor its commitment to financially support the development of a new $1.3 billion Tampa Bay Rays stadium.

At a Tuesday meeting, county commissioners voted 5-2 to allocate $312.5 million toward the construction of the 30,000-seat ballpark. The county’s share will be funded through existing tourist taxes collected on hotel stays and short-term rentals.

Newly elected commissioners Vince Nowicki and Chris Scherer voted against the proposal, while Commissioners Chris Latvala, Kathleen Peters, Dave Eggers, Rene Flowers, and Brian Scott voted in favor of approving the bonds.

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St. Pete approves bonds to fund new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and Gas Plant District development

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St. Pete approves bonds to fund new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and Gas Plant District development

Despite uncertainty surrounding the future of Major League Baseball in St. Petersburg, the City Council has voted to move forward with plans for a new $1.3 billion stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays and the redevelopment of the adjacent 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District.

During a meeting on Thursday, the City Council narrowly approved the issuance of $287.5 million in tax-exempt bonds with a 4-3 vote. These bonds will contribute to the $600 million in public funding for the stadium, along with $142 million allocated for infrastructure improvements in the reimagined district.

Council members Sandra Figgs-Sanders, Copley Gerdes, Brandi Gabbard, and Gina Driscoll voted in favor of the bond issuance, while Richie Floyd, Lisset Hanewicz, and John Muhammad opposed it.

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Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal appears dead, city delays vote to fund Trop repairs

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Tampa Bay Rays stadium deal appears dead, city delays vote to fund Trop repairs

A plan years in the making to build a modern $1.3 billion ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays in the heart of downtown St. Pete may be completely dead.

On Thursday, St. Petersburg City Council voted to delay a vote that would approve two bonds totaling $287.5 million in tax-exempt funding for the new stadium, following suit with the Pinellas County Commission which voted to delay their bond funding for a second time earlier this week.

The county commissioners and city councilmembers were hesitant to grant the bond resolution due to the Rays’ lack of communication.

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Done Deals: St. Pete to sell prime downtown property, Sundial renovation continues, New bar opens in Gulfport

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Done Deals: St. Pete to sell prime downtown property, Sundial renovation continues, New bar opens in Gulfport

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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City of St. Pete to sell 1.5-acre site near Tropicana Field in downtown St. Pete

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City of St. Pete to sell 1.5-acre site near Tropicana Field in downtown St. Pete

The City of St. Pete is in discussions to sell a 1.53-acre city-owned property near the future Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment in downtown St. Pete. 

Third Lake Partners, which was established by Ashley Furniture founder Ronald Wanek, is expected to purchase the property at 298 Dr. Martin Luther King Street South from the City of St. Petersburg for $10 million. 

The property is situated east of Tropicana Field and directly west of United Property Insurance's (UPC) former headquarters building, which Third Lake Partners bought in 2022 for $10.5 million. 

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