Rays approved to explore new stadium sites in Tampa

The Tampa Bay Rays crossed a major hurdle in their hopes of building a new stadium.

St. Petersburg City Council approved a deal Thursday with a 5-3 vote to allow the Rays to look for stadium sites in Hillsborough and Pinella Counties.

"It's been a long-time coming for us, a lot of work in the organization" Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said. "Basically it means we get to start to look around and explore the region and see where the pitch perfect place is for our home for decades to come."

The approval will now allow the Rays to canvas businesses and potential ticket holders to see what kind of stadium they would want built, and in which area.

"This is something that's been hanging over the organization," Sternberg said. "(We've been) trying to get done and it does take away year by year, it does take away some of the focus of the organization. Now that we got this, part of it out of the way, there's a lot of work that can be done, and needs to be done about exploring a new spot."

The Rays have occupied Tropicana Field since 1998 and are under contract through the 2027 season. Tampa Bay finished last in attendance the last four seasons.