ST. PETERSBURG The message was sprinkled across every scoreboard inside Tropicana Field on Tuesday early morning. It was reiterated by everyone that supported a microphone, from principal owner Stuart Sternberg to St. Petersburg mayor Ken Welch to other club, city and county Rays are "here to remain. " The Rays got to a contract with the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas Area to build a brand-new $1. 3 billion ball park as component of the redevelopment of the Tropicana Area site, an 86-acre area likewise called the Historic Gas Plant District. The club, city and region made the news at Tropicana Field's "162 Landing" on Tuesday morning, bringing the Rays closer than ever to securing a long-term home in the Tampa fl Bay location. Below To Stay: Historic Gas Plant District DevelopmentThere is still a public approval procedure that all parties want to finish by very early next year, consisting of votes from the St. Petersburg City Council and Pinellas Region Commission, but this is the very first time the Rays have actually reached this action in their long-running quest of a new an outcome, it shows up most likely than ever that the club will certainly continue to be where it been because its inaugural period in 1998: in midtown St. Petersburg. " Major Organization Baseball is here to stay, right here," Sternberg said. "As we all understand, things do not constantly advance in a straight line. But we have actually all been extremely lucky this area and particularly this city are expanding up around us and are better-equipped to support a Big league Baseball group. " Renderings of the brand-new ball park and redeveloped Tropicana Area site in St. Petersburg proposed by Rays and Rays' proposal features an about 30,000-seat ballpark with three seats levels, a repaired roof, a synthetic grass field and a "pavilion" design. The arena will certainly have three seating degrees together with various other kinds of seats, from premium clubs and suites to more flexible locations like decks and social event layout likewise consists of operable wall surfaces and windows that can be opened up on pleasurable days or closed to fend off Florida's summertime heat, rain and humidity. Unlike at Tropicana Field, followers will certainly be able to look out the home windows and, as the team placed it, "bring the outdoors in. "" Our goal is to build the finest ball park in America. We think it's going to be the most intimate ball park, the most comfy ball park," group president Matt Silverman stated. "It's going to be unique due to the fact that it has a roofing system. And that roof covering is an advantage to us. " That is among things we heard from our fans: Convenience comes initially. They like entering Tropicana Field recognizing the video game is going to be played, it's 72 degrees and it fits. That's going to be the exact same in this following ball park. " Prepare yourself for a whole new gameday experience. #HereToStay Tampa Bay Rays September 19, 2023The Rays would pay for even more than half of the arena's approximated cost, with the city and county covering approximately $600 million and the club liable for the rest plus any enhancements or , who chose the Rays and their growth companion Hines in January as his favored selection to redevelop the Tropicana Area site, claimed the city will certainly pay its $300 million with the "bonding of a number of revenue streams, none of which are real estate tax, and we're doing it without any brand-new taxes or any boost in current tax obligations. " The region is expected to pay its share primarily from a "bed tax" set aside for economic development or tourism-related investments. " It is a significant commitment for our company to money $700 million or more into this ballpark, which reveals the confidence that we have in being below and being a component of the growth and proceeded renaissance of this location," Silverman claimed. "We're done in this with each other. We're not making a wager. We're making a financial investment in the future of this city and of this franchise business, and we see actually, truly fantastic years in advance for us. " According to the agreement, the entire investment in the almost 8 million square-foot Historic Gas Plant Area mixed-use growth task is forecasted to be greater than $6. 5 billion over the next twenty years. Around 15-20 acres, consisting of the ballpark and two event parking lot, would certainly be had by Pinellas Region, rented to St. Petersburg and subleased to the Rays on a 30-year lease agreement, with alternatives to prolong it to 40 club's existing 30-year use contract at Tropicana Area ends after the 2027 season, and the Rays are established to remain at their ballpark up until then Austin Shenton Shorts. If the agreement is accepted and every little thing goes according to plan, ball park construction would certainly be begin in late 2024 and be finished by late '27. Renderings of the new ball park and redeveloped Tropicana Area site in St. Petersburg recommended by Rays and Hines. " We are commemorating our 25th anniversary as a ballclub. A generational fanbase is settling," Sternberg said. "And today, we take a huge progression to ensuring that the Rays fans will certainly be right here in Tampa Bay for generations and generations to come. " The Rays would certainly begin playing there on Opening Day 2028 and achieve their oft-stated goal of maintaining the club in the Tampa bay Bay area for generations ahead. " This will be a transformative project for the Rays, St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, Sternberg said. We have actually happily functioned as Tampa fl Bay's Big league team for 25 years, and we are enjoyed be in placement to do so for decades and generations to ballpark is just one component of the Rays and Hines' mixed-use area redevelopment plan, which additionally asks for real estate, workplace and medical space, retail area, resort areas, senior living residences, a home entertainment place, meeting and conference area, the Woodson African American Gallery of Florida and Rays have been browsing for a brand-new ballpark in the Tampa Bay area for around 16 years. They announced plans in November 2007 for a stadium on the Al Lang Arena website, could not reach an arrangement with Hillsborough Area in 2018 for a proposed ballpark in Ybor City, then had their split-season "Sis City" proposal with Montreal declined by MLB's Exec Council in January 2022. Tampa bay Bay has been just one of baseball's most successful clubs on the area over the past 15 years, having clinched its ninth postseason appearance considering that 2008 on Sunday, but placed no higher than 28th in average participation from 11-22. The Rays are 26th in the Majors this period, averaging 17,778 fans per game, heading right into their last regular-season club will certainly face questions about how developing a brand-new ballpark in roughly the same place as Tropicana Area may address its well-documented participation issues. But the Rays believe that a new ballpark, incorporated with the redeveloped area around it and their continued success on the field, will drive more rate of interest and greater attendance numbers. " We believe there's a variety of points that are going to allow us to materially raise presence going forward," group president Brian Auld stated. "The first is that we're going to have a far better ball park bordered by a first-rate location, so we anticipate even more individuals to come to delight in that extraordinary ballpark and all the fantastic things we're going to have around it. "