With the approval of the requested public funding of ~40% of the new Rays stadium costs, Rays principal owner Patrick Zalupski, formally titled the Tampa Bay Rays Managing Partner and Co-Chair, released the following statement:
“On behalf of our Partners, I want to express our deepest gratitude to Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa for their leadership, partnership, and willingness to say yes to what for so long had been considered impossible: a new ballpark for the Tampa Bay Rays.
This has been a long and challenging process, and we know that transformational projects rarely come easily. Today’s vote represents an extraordinary milestone—not simply for the Rays or for a ballpark, but for the future of Tampa and the entire Tampa Bay region.
A destination neighborhood, anchored by a rejuvenated Hillsborough College campus and a Forever Home ballpark, is now within reach because community leaders, public servants, and partners came together with a shared belief in what this project can mean for generations to come.
We are incredibly grateful to everyone who invested their time, energy, ideas, and trust in getting us to this moment. We recognize there is still important work ahead, and we look forward to continued collaboration to deliver on the promise of this transformational project.
Today is an incredible day for Tampa Bay. Thank you to everyone who helped make it possible.
Forever starts now.”
Zalupski previously promised the Rays would “break ground in September” if the stadium was fully funded by the City and County. Now that this has come to pass, there’s a real possibility we see shovels in the ground by Tuesday.
