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Hillsborough County to continue talks with Rays ownership about possible Tampa ballpark at HCC West Tampa site
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Summary
Commissioners agreed to continue discussions with the Tampa Bay Rays' new ownership about a potential ballpark on the Hillsborough Community College West Tampa campus; the property is state-owned, and county materials say the governor has expressed support; no negotiations or funding commitments were made.
Hillsborough County commissioners agreed Feb. 4 to continue exploratory talks with the Tampa Bay Rays' new ownership about the possibility of relocating the team to Tampa and constructing a new ballpark on the West Tampa Hillsborough Community College campus.
County communications said the selected site would be the HCC West Tampa campus on the west side of Dale Mabry Highway, that the property is owned by the state, and that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has expressed support for a new raised ballpark as a redevelopment centerpiece. The county also said the Rays' ownership has requested information about potential funding sources to help evaluate site and financing options.
The county emphasized that there have been no negotiations and no funding commitments. The stated purpose of the information request is to determine whether a feasible framework exists for future negotiations on business terms. Any future funding framework would be presented to the Board of County Commissioners, the City of Tampa and the Tampa Sports Authority, the county summary said.
County materials did not include details about timelines, specific funding options, or whether any state approvals would be required to transfer or repurpose the state-owned property.
