Rays requested to announce decision on stadium agreement before December 1st
The Tampa Bay Rays must decide by December 1st if they will commit to building a $1.3 billion stadium that was originally approved in July.
On Monday, Pinellas County Court Commission Chairperson Kathleen Peters sent a letter to Rays presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman asking for a decision.
Last week, Auld and Silverman wrote to the County Commission stating that the team is not willing to agree to a deal for a new stadium and is looking for a different solution in the area.
In their letter on November 19th, the Rays stated that a new stadium would not be ready for the 2028 season and that opening it the following year would be too expensive. They also claimed to have already spent $50 million on the project, but the county has allegedly halted all progress.
The Rays wrote, \"As we have informed the county administrator and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, the county's failure to finalize the bonds last month ended the ability for a 2028 delivery of the ballpark.\"
\"As we have made clear at every step of this process, a 2029 ballpark delivery would result in significantly higher costs that we are not able to absorb alone.\"
Peters responded to Auld and Silverman's claims in her letter, calling their statement about the costs of completing the stadium in 2029 \"false.\" She also stated that the Rays are responsible for any additional costs that may arise.
Peters also disputed the Rays' argument that a completed stadium in 2028 is impossible, pointing out that the county's deadline for issuing bonds could be as late as March 31, 2025.
However, the county will not be issuing any bonds in the near future. On November 19th, the Pinellas County Commission voted 6-1 to delay their decision on approving the bonds until December 17th.
If the Rays do not provide an answer by the December 1st deadline, Peters told the Tampa Bay Times that she will discuss next steps with Assistant County Attorney Don Crowell and County Administrator Barry Burton.
Regardless, the Rays will not be playing at their usual St. Petersburg location next season after Hurricane Milton caused significant damage to Tropicana Field in early October. Instead, they will be playing at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
While it is uncertain if the Rays will stay in the Tampa Bay area long-term, Peters affirmed that the city and county are still committed to finalizing a deal with the team.
Peters wrote in her letter, \"Pinellas County has operated in good faith, working toward the stadium deal while balancing the needs of our community after back-to-back hurricanes. If the Rays want out of this agreement, it is your right to terminate the contract. Clear communication about your intentions will be critical to the next steps in this partnership.\"
