The Tampa Bay Rays held a press conference today announcing a proposed plan for a new stadium across the bay in Tampa.
The facility in the historic Ybor City neighborhood would be the smallest in Major League Baseball, with a capacity of 30,842, and would feature a fixed, translucent roof to keep out the inevitable Florida rain (smart!). The team would like it to open in 2023.
The entire project is budgeted at $892 million, including infrastructure costs, with the stadium itself forecast at $809 million. It remains unclear how much the team is willing to contribute.
I REALLY hope that this plan includes solutions for the inevitable traffic nightmare that will ensue! That area is already very congested, so I hope they're planning for that! The proposed design is really pretty...but I'll personally miss the stadium being in St Pete. It's a much shorter drive from my house, with lots of bars and restaurants within walking distance for pre- or post-game pitstops.