Rays' $2.3B Stadium Deal Approved, Opening Day Teased After City Council Vote

The Tampa Bay Rays' proposed $2.36 billion ballpark deal was approved following a vote by the Hillsborough County Commission on Friday.

The Tampa City Council also voted to approve the stadium agreement on Thursday.

Per MLB.com's Adam Berry, the team laid out a project schedule in which "substantial completion" of the ballpark will be reached by the end of 2028 before a "final completion" in March 2029 so that it can be ready for Opening Day.

A tentative agreement regarding the stadium was initially finalized in May, with the Rays releasing new renderings of the ballpark just under two months later.

The stadium will be located on Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus as part of a mixed-use district and will contain a capacity of approximately 31,000.

The Rays have played at St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field since 1998, but their current lease expires following the 2028 MLB season.

Tampa Bay remains on track to move to its new ballpark in 2029.