Hillsborough County Commissioners voted 5-2 on Friday to approve a $2.3-billion agreement on a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times.
The vote was the final hurdle remaining before plans to construct a major-league ballpark on Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus in Tampa can begin.
The new stadium is intended to open for the start of the 2029 season. That will take the Rays through the end of their lease agreement for St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field in 2028.
"This has been a long and challenging process, and we know that transformational projects rarely come easily. Today's vote represents an extraordinary milestone - not simply for the Rays or for a ballpark, but for the future of Tampa and the entire Tampa Bay region," Rays managing partner Patrick Zalupski said in a statement following Friday's vote.
"A destination neighborhood, anchored by a rejuvenated Hillsborough College campus and a Forever Home ballpark, is now within reach because community leaders, public servants, and partners came together with a shared belief in what this project can mean for generations to come."
Today was historic.
— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) August 28, 2026
We celebrate this day with you — our fans — who can be assured the Rays organization will play in Tampa Bay forever! #RaysUp pic.twitter.com/3YJlwpWCLb
On Thursday, Tampa City Council voted 4-3 in favor of the $2.3-billion park, setting up Friday's final vote by the county.
The Rays are slated to invest approximately $1.37 billion of the overall cost, with the county expected to cover $796 million and the city responsible for $80 million.
The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since the franchise's inaugural season in 1998. They temporarily relocated to the New York Yankees' spring training facility, George M. Steinbrenner Field, for the 2025 season due to damage caused to Tropicana Field's roof by Hurricane Milton in 2024.
