Tampa Bay Rays highlight area around Forever Home ballpark

Image: Tampa Bay Rays

Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Tampa Bay Rays have shown off new images of the mixed-use development district around their proposed new Forever Home ballpark.

Draysbay said the surrounding mixed-use development has a focus on premier office space that, according to Rays Chief Executive Officer Ken Babby, has attracted early interest from Fortune 500 companies based outside the region and within.

The transformative 100-plus-acre mixed-use development will encompass more than 8 million square feet of mixed-use space organized around four distinctive districts: Champions Quarter, Innovation Edge (featuring a reimagined Hillsborough College campus), The Canopy, and The Row.

Together, these neighborhoods will redefine and enhance Tampa Bay as a premier sports and entertainment destination.

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.

Image: Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays’ $2.3 billion stadium plan is a proposed 31,000-seat, fixed-roof ballpark in West Tampa (US) on the Hillsborough Community College campus. The team currently plays at Tropicana Field.

Babby said. “We have said from the start that this project is about much more than baseball and a new ballpark.

“The proposed privately financed district that will be made possible by a new ballpark is attracting interest and gaining significant momentum. It has sparked an appetite among Fortune 500 companies from beyond Tampa Bay who want to be part of a game-changing vision, and we’ve also had meaningful conversations with businesses based here who want to learn more and be among the first to call the district their home.

“Of course, we have more ground to cover, and we are making great progress. But, what we’ve envisioned–a vibrant, walkable neighborhood where people work, live, learn, and play–is at our doorstep. The interest from major businesses to be part of Tampa Bay history is real and growing. A new neighborhood that will be a year-round community asset, driving economic growth and opportunity for decades to come, can be ours.”
 

The Forever Home ballpark development includes:

Premium Office Space: The renderings illustrate a state-of-the-art office complex featuring collaborative workspaces, elevated amenities, sky terraces, and rooftop gardens, creating a best-in-class business environment designed to attract and retain world-class talent and companies of all sizes. Rays leadership has held discussions over the summer with Fortune 500 companies based outside of Tampa Bay, as well as numerous local firms, which have expressed strong initial interest in creating a significant long-term presence in the district.

Ground-Floor Retail & Dining: Areas earmarked for approximately 400,000 square feet of curated retail, live entertainment venues, and destination dining experiences creating an active, pedestrian-friendly streetscape.

Hospitality: A location designated for a 4+ star convention hotel anchoring the neighborhood, with additional hotel and residential options providing accommodations and lifestyle living options.

Lifestyle Residential: A designation for modern residential offerings integrated throughout the district, creating a live-work-play community.

Year-Round Activation: The mixed-use design ensures constant energy and activity beyond game days, with office workers, retail patrons, hotel guests, residents, and entertainment seekers creating a vibrant, animated environment.

Public Spaces & Connectivity: When completed, the district will include landscaped areas, pedestrian bridges, connected walkways, and gathering spaces designed around the “Work, Live, Learn, Play” principle, with the reimagined Hillsborough College campus serving as an educational anchor and innovation hub.
 
The design of the Forever Home ballpark area development, created by world-renowned design firms Gensler and Populous, prioritizes connectivity, walkability, and a strong relationship between the workplace, entertainment venues, and the ballpark.

The Rays, Hillsborough College, and local officials continue to work collaboratively with the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County toward a funding agreement. Design elements will continue to evolve based on community input, market conditions, and ongoing stakeholder engagement.

Babby said, “We’re committed to getting all the details right. This neighborhood will be here for generations of Tampa residents to enjoy and thrive. Every design decision, every tenant partnership, every community commitment, it all matters. We’re listening, we’re investing, and we’re building something that truly belongs to and is uniquely Tampa Bay.”

The new ballpark and its associated district are targeted for opening in 2029.

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