Tampa Bay Rays Construction Manager hunt for baseball stadium

Article posted by Coliseum, July 22^nd, 2026

Image: Tampa Bay Rays

The Major League Baseball (MLB) team Tampa Bay Rays (US) have initiated the procurement process for a Construction Manager that can “mobilize immediately” to build the team’s proposed $2.3 billion baseball stadium.

‘wusf.org’ stated that a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) offers some timeline specifics that reflect the Tampa Bay Rays sense of urgency with site work expected to begin on August 14^th, the same day the Construction Manager is announced.

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-seat 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.

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.

A Request for Qualifications (RFQ) is a preliminary procurement document used by the organizations and the Government agencies to vet potential vendors or contractors. It asks the companies to submit their credentials, past experience, the financials, and the team expertise to prove they are capable of handling a specific project, strictly excluding pricing.

Request for Qualifications

‘wusf.org’ further stated that the Request for Qualifications, posted on the team’s Website, offers some timeline specifics that reflect the sense of urgency of the Tampa Bay Rays’ new ownership group.

Construction Manager At Risk

According to the document, the Tampa Bay Rays are planning an August 14^th announcement of the selected “Construction Manager at risk” which would oversee the “construction, commissioning and close-out of the project”. A notice to proceed is anticipated the same day meaning the initial building permits, the insurance and the funding would need to be secured.

The selected firm must have the building ready for occupation by December 31^st, 2028, with final completion by March 1^st, 2029.

The Rays’ request reads, “Time is of the essence. As is evidenced by the milestone dates noted herein the successful (Construction Manager) and the (Construction Manager’s) key staff will be expected to enter expeditiously into the negotiated agreement and commence services immediately.”

Definitive Documents

The Rays are negotiating with the Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa on the final definitive documents needed to secure $976 million in public financing for the stadium which would anchor the team’s $8 billion multiuse development. The Rays have committed more than $1.25 billion for just the ballpark.

The Hillsborough County Commission and the Tampa City Council must approve the final agreements.

Cost Ceiling

Like most public-private projects of this size it will use a “Construction Manager at risk” model in which the builder agrees to a “guaranteed maximum price”. By locking in a cost ceiling the contract effectively shifts the financial risk of budget overruns away from the taxpayers and the team and places it on the construction firm.

Competitive Bids

During its procurement process the firm must obtain the competitive bids from the potential subcontractors and the suppliers and then collaborate with the Rays and the Architect before contracting.

Engaging Community

The document reads, “Further, the (Construction Manager) shall present ways in which it intends to engage the community and utilize the local subcontractors and suppliers.”

The Rays also list some previously reported ballpark specifics: The Rays want a fixed-roof, climate-controlled ballpark of about 1.3 million gross square feet and plans call for about 28,000 seats with “special event capacity expandability”.

The other stadium specifics in the document include:

The three primary seating levels (main, mezzanine, upper) with general, premium and group areas;
The premium areas will feature enhanced seating and access to the club lounges, suites, the bars, and the dining areas;
The group areas will include small seating groupings such as the living room Boxes or the theater seating;
A number of “standing room only” tickets are also expected to be made available;
About 350,000 to 450,000 square feet will be dedicated to the concourses and circulation;
About 60,000 to 100,000 square feet will go to concessions, kitchens and the team stores;
About 70,000 to 100,000 square feet will be used for the locker rooms, the clubhouses and the training areas; and
There will be a media center with the Press Box, the broadcast booths and the TV truck facilities.

The iconic Rays aquarium – now found in the center field at the Tropicana Field – is also part of the plan.

The stadium is slated to go on about 130 acres now used by the Hillsborough College’s Dale Mabry campus in Tampa’s Drew Park neighborhood.

The stadium Construction Manager would not be responsible for any of the surrounding development which would include a relocated college campus.

The Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis recently signed the 2026-2027 State budget which includes $50 million for the college and the related infrastructure tied to the stadium.

Continue following Coliseum for the latest updates on sports venues, stadiums and arena business news worldwide.

Coliseum is dedicated to building a global community of sports and entertainment venue professionals helping create better and more profitable venues.

Become a member of the Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and industry experts from around the world. Apply for membership through the Global Sports Venue Alliance and access the 365Coliseum Business platform.

Watch 500+ member-exclusive videos with valuable tips for your venue