Rays agreement could commit $60 million worth of community benefits if approved

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(The Center Square) – The Tampa City Council will consider a custom community benefits agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays Stadium Company in a special meeting Thursday.

The agreement on the agenda would commit the Rays to providing $60 million in community benefits. The city of Tampa would receive $21 million total in community benefits while Hillsborough County would receive $39 million.

Those numbers don’t necessarily reflect cash payments, although they can. The company can decide to fulfill its community benefits obligation through funding or by providing community benefits that serve local residents, businesses or institutions through activities that: improve mobility and regional access, jobs, workforce development, housing and neighborhood stability, youth, education, literacy, public safety and first responders, community, culture, inclusion, family and fan access, governance, transparency, and accountability, according to the agreement.

If approved, the Rays will be committed to $12 million worth of benefits in the first five years with $4.2 million for Tampa and $7.8 million for Hillsborough County.

The Rays’ stadium company will need to provide annual reports detailing the value of benefits delivered.

The Community Benefits Agreement program was established by the Tampa City Council in 2023 to promote “equitable economic growth.” The program takes into consideration the social and community impacts of major development plans and requires developers receiving public funds to commit to improving the community.

The final funding agreement for the Rays’ new stadium, which will be located at Hillsborough College Dale Mabry Campus, includes $876 million in public funding from Hillsborough County and the city of Tampa. Construction is anticipated to cost $2.3 billion total. Gov. Ron DeSantis also pledged $150 million in state funding for new campus buildings and $30 million for transportation improvements.

When Hillsborough County voted to approve the funding agreement in August, Board of County Commissioners Chair Ken Hagan said the project would not only secure a new home for the Tampa Bay Rays but also integrate a new Hillsborough College campus into “an $8 billion private sector investment.”

“This will be the largest, most transformative development in Hillsborough County history and the nation's first live-work-play-learn district anchored by an MLB ballpark,” said Hagan.

The Rays’ stadium is set to be completed by April 2029. It will be located in a mixed-use, three-phase development that includes a 28,000 seat ballpark along with new residential, commercial, retail and office construction.