Tampa Bay Rays finalizing new ballpark in St. Petersburg as part of a larger urban project

By CURT ANDERSON
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The playoff-bound Tampa Bay Rays have put the finishing touches on plans for a new 30,000-seat ballpark in St. Petersburg. It’s part of a $6.5 billion development project announced Tuesday that includes affordable housing, retail, bars and restaurants and a Black history museum. The site is on the same 86-acre tract of downtown land where Tropicana Field now sits. An official with the Rays says that domed, oddly-tilted ballpark will be demolished once the new one is built, in time for opening day in 2028. The plan would keep the Rays in St. Petersburg for the foreseeable future. But, it still has to clear some political hurdles on funding and approvals.