The new owners[1] of the Tampa Bay Rays are looking at the Tampa Bay region as its “first and highest priority” for a new stadium development, which they would like to model after the Atlanta Braves’ Battery district, home to Truist Park.
The owners, speaking during a press conference[2] Tuesday, said they hope to have “a world-class park” by Opening Day 2029.
“We need a new forever home,” said Joe Zalupski, who led the new ownership team along with Ken Babby, who will serve as team CEO, and Bill Cosgrove.
Zalupski acknowledged that the time frame was “aggressive and audacious,” but said he’s confident the team can find a home in the region.
Asked whether the ownership team would entertain the contract previously entered into, which fell apart after Hurricane Milton blew the roof off Tropicana Field last October, Zalupski didn’t rule it out. But he also didn’t commit, reiterating that the team is exploring all options in the region.
Access to land will be the biggest challenge, but also the most important consideration, the new owners said.
They are looking for about 100 acres to accommodate hotel, office, retail, restaurant and entertainment space.
Zalupski didn’t say if the ownership group had identified any possible locations, but said there are more sites that meet the team’s criteria than one might imagine.
The Battery in Atlanta “is the gold standard” for what the team hopes to build in the Tampa Bay region, he said, adding that the mixed-use model “is what you have to have in today’s Major League Baseball to be successful.”
“Without that revenue generation it’s going to be really, really challenging or nearly impossible to compete with the major markets.”
While few details were announced about the site selection process — the team is just getting started, the owners reminded — a few things are clear: A public subsidy will be expected, and the stadium will not have a retractable roof.
“There’s a lot of issues and maintenance with a retractable roof,” Babby said, adding that other owners have advocated against it.
On subsidies, Zalupski said the team didn’t have a number yet, but that a public-private partnership would be a key part of any deal.
Owners said they are looking forward to returning to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season. They expect the Trop to be open and fully operational by April 6. Half of the stadium’s 24 roof panels will be in place by the end of the week, the group said.
They also teased new stadium amenities and fan experience opportunities, though were short on details, which owners said they would announce soon.
And given the team’s aggressive timeline for opening a new stadium, Babby said it was premature at this point to talk about extending the existing contract to play at Tropicana Field.
References
- ^ new owners (floridapolitics.com)
- ^ press conference (www.youtube.com)