TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – The Tampa Bay Rays are expected to announce their support on Friday for building a new stadium in Ybor City.
Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan has been working on a deal to bring the team from their current location in St. Petersburg to Tampa.
Hagan says he will hold a joint news conference on Friday to make the announcement.
“That’s going to be a major component of tomorrow’s press conference, where the Rays principal owner Stu Sternberg will be present, and he’s expected to say publicly, for the first time, that Ybor City is the Rays’ choice and where they want their next ballpark to be located,” said Hagan.
Hagan announced several weeks ago that a group has worked to acquire rights to land in Ybor for a stadium to be built, but Florida many questioned the Rays’ support for the plan and questioned if funding could be put into place for it’s construction.
“Tomorrow is a major step toward allowing us to have that conversation and one of the major elements of the announcement is going to be a privately led initiative to secure corporate sponsorships and community support,” said Hagan.
Mayor Rick Kriseman addressed St. Petersburg City Council about the announcement on Thursday.
Kriseman said he continues to believe the Tropical Field site is best for the future home of the Rays, but said as a city, St. Petersburg is prepared to begin “phase two of the master plan for that site, and envisioning what that site would be without a stadium.”
Kriseman said the Rays are not announcing their final decision, so there is no termination of the agreement between the Rays and the Tropicana Field site.
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