Pinellas County Court Commission sends letter to Rays requesting that it declare its intention to build a new stadium by December 1
The Tampa Bay Rays have until Sunday to declare whether they want to commit to building a $1.3 billion stadium originally voted on in July.
Pinellas County Court Commission Chairwoman Kathleen Peters sent a letter Monday to Rays presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman, requesting a team decision.
Last week, Auld and Silverman wrote a letter to the County Commission suggesting the team would not accept a deal for a new stadium and is “ready to work on a new solution” in the area.
The Rays wrote in the Nov. 19 letter that a new stadium would not be completed in time for the 2028 season, while opening a stadium the following year would be too expensive. The team also wrote that it has spent more than $50 million building the new stadium, but the county has reportedly “suspended work on the entire project.”
“As we have informed County Manager and St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch, the county’s failure to finalize the bonds last month ended the possibility of a 2028 stadium delivery,” the Rays wrote.
“As we have made clear at every step of this process, a 2029 stadium delivery would result in significantly higher costs that we cannot absorb alone.”
Peters responded to Auld and Silverman in their letter, calling the team’s claim that completing a stadium in 2029 would be too expensive a “fallacious statement.” He added that the Rays are responsible for covering any additional costs that may arise with the project.
Peters also refuted the Rays’ argument that a stadium completed in 2028 is unattainable, noting that the county’s deadline to issue the bonds could be as late as March 31, 2025.
However, no bonds will be issued in the near future. The Pinellas County Commission voted 6-1 on proposition number 19 to postpone its final decision on whether to approve the bonds until December 17.
If the Rays do not provide an answer by the Dec. 1 deadline, Peters told the Tampa Bay Times he would discuss how to proceed with Deputy County Attorney Don Crowell and County Administrator Barry Burton.
Still, the Rays will not play their home games next season at their usual home in St. Petersburg after Tropicana Field was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton in early October. Instead, the team will host its opponents at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
While it’s unclear if the Rays will stay in the Tampa Bay area long-term, Peters said the city and county remain committed to finalizing an agreement with the team.
“Pinellas County has acted in good faith, working toward the stadium agreement while balancing the needs of our community following two consecutive hurricanes,” Peters wrote in his letter. “If the Rays want to terminate this agreement, they have the right to terminate it. Clear communication about their intentions will be critical to the next steps in this partnership.”
