Rays ‘live-work-play-learn’ venue gets hoist

Article posted by Coliseum, March 9^th, 2026

Image: Tampa Bay Rays

The top State officials have formally approved the conveyance of land in the Hillsborough County to the Hillsborough College adding momentum to a proposal to relocate the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Tampa Bay Rays from St. Pete to Tampa, Florida (US).

‘FLORIDA POLITICS’ stated that the Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis and the Members of the Cabinet, sitting as the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Trust Fund, voted to convey approximately 22 acres of non-conservation land to the Hillsborough College.

The Hillsborough College (HC), formerly known as the Hillsborough Community College, is a public community college in Hillsborough County, Florida (US). It is part of the Florida College System.

The Tampa Bay Rays are an American professional baseball team based in the Tampa Bay area (US). The Rays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division.

The 25,025-capacity Tropicana Field (nicknamed ‘The Trop’) is a domed multipurpose stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. ‘The Trop’ is the home of the Major League Baseball (MLB) team Tampa Bay Rays.

‘FLORIDA POLITICS’ further stated that the officials said the move serves as a catalyst for a reimagined Dale Mabry Campus for the Hillsborough College to go along with a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays. The action also authorized modification and release of longstanding deed restrictions tied to the Dale Mabry Campus property.

The Cabinet’s action marks a significant milestone in the Rays’ effort to relocate from St. Petersburg to the Hillsborough County though the additional local approvals, the financing arrangements and the Major League Baseball sign-off will still be required before construction can begin. The decision also comes as the Hillsborough College seeks $50 million in State appropriations to fund the campus redevelopment.

New York (US)-based the Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league in North America composed of 30 teams divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL) with 29 in the United States and one (1) in Canada. The MLB is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada and is considered the premier professional baseball league in the world.

In a statement following the vote the Rays head honcho Ken Babby thanked DeSantis and the Cabinet for the approval calling it “a big moment for Tampa Bay”. He reiterated the team’s goal of opening a new ballpark and integrated “live, work, play, and learn” district by 2029.

Opined Babby, “Our momentum is real and growing thanks to the remarkable spirit of community and statewide partnership that our ownership group has been privileged to experience from the start. This is undoubtedly a big moment for Tampa Bay and the Rays are fully in this moment to bring this vision to life and serve our region for generations to come.”

DeSantis, who has already signaled support for the Rays proposal, told the Cabinet Members that the State dollars and conveyances could help the Hillsborough College redevelop alongside the proposed ballpark district. He termed the area as having “a lot of potential” and said a partnership between the college and the Rays could benefit both the institution and the broader region.

He pointed to the nearby sports anchors – including the 11,026-capacity George M. Steinbrenner Field and the 69,218-capacity Raymond James Stadium in Florida – and said that adding a new Rays ballpark and surrounding development “is going to really change the character of the area for the better”.

Added DeSantis, “I think it is appropriate to empower them to be able to negotiate a deal that’s going to allow them to have a reinvigorated and reimagined campus and also connecting some of their students to all the great things that are going to be happening around them.”

The Attorney General of Florida James Uthmeier seconded the motion and said the conveyance would provide a greater public benefit than the State ownership describing the site as “largely just a bunch of parking lots. It’s going to have significant economic benefits for the State and I also think a lot of great opportunities for the students to do internships, apprenticeships, walk right across the street and have job opportunities.”

DeSantis doubled down and said the land is not worth much to the State outside of a proposal like the Rays’ ballpark and the redevelopment concept.

He concluded, “Really, in order to make this something that’s special, it really has to be something unique like this.”

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