The Yankees have requested to make $39.8 million worth of upgrades to Steinbrenner Field, with the county paying $18 million and the Yankees paying the balance of about $22 million. The county is financing it via the “bed tax”, or the money the county makes on overnight lodging.
Hillsborough County commissioners approved the requested changes by a vote of 6-1 on Wednesday, with District 7 commissioner Joshua Wostal saying, “I do disagree that we should be paying for the sound system, security cameras, lighting (and) magnetometers for a Major League team that is worth billions of dollars. That being said, leaders of the past had made the decision to purchase this, and it is a county asset that requires us to maintain a safe standard where we could possibly assume liability for any harm. For that reason, and for that reason alone, I will be voting today to support the funding.”
One of the upgrades that fans will notice next Spring is a new $4.5 million “Jumbotron”, or a replacement of the scoreboard in left field. It was last replaced with the most recent significant renovation in 2016-2017, when the new main entrance was added, in addition to the outfield walkway and seating added. The Yankees also want to re-pave the main parking lot at Steinbrenner Field, in addition to other renovations around the concourse, which will all total $9.5 million in renovations ahead of next season.
With the county providing $18 million to an established resident, and one obligated to stay put until 2046, how does that affect a Rays organization looking to potentially build a new stadium literally next door? The new ownership group realizes that they need to finance a new stadium, and they seem ready to do so. They’ve had some exploratory projects done, and one of the sites that they have shown interest in is the Hillsborough Community College campus, just south of Steinbrenner Field. If you’ve traveled south of either GMS Field or Raymond James Stadium, you should have seen the HCC campus at the north-west corner of Dale Mabry Hwy and W Tampa Bay Blvd. (seen on the map below).
The Rays have said that they want to replicate something similar to what the Atlanta Braves have with The Battery, by putting in restaurants, lodging and more around the new stadium. They say that the HCC campus has the space for that.
“The access, proximity to the airport, you have Dale Mabry right there, you can make it a sports hub,” said county commissioner Ken Hagan. Hagan is the lead negotiator between the county and the Rays’ new ownership group, including Ken Babby, CEO of the Rays and owner of the Double-A Akron RubberDucks and the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp. Tropicana Field is at a halfway point of having the roof replaced, currently looking like a giant blue peppermint candy.
“The Trop” should have its roof completed by next month, depending on weather. The stadium then needs $14.4 million worth of other infrastructure replaced, like lighting, electronics, suites, the press box, etc. It is supposed to be ready for April 2026, and is now planned on being used until 2029 when the current lease with the City of St. Petersburg expires.
That puts extra pressure on the new owners since they have to scramble to get a location along with designs sooner than later so they can have the new stadium ready for 2029.
In addition to getting all of that approved, they would also have to get approval by the Yankees and Major League Baseball if they intend on building next door to GMS Field. Hypothetically, if this location ultimately was approved by all parties, there would be a handful of unknowns. How would this not only affect the Yankees, but the Tarpons? Would they have to create a schedule similar to that of this past season so that both the Rays and Tarpons could have their respective seasons accommodated? Would they move their complex up to Tampa, or would they keep it in Port Charlotte? How would the traffic infrastructure on both Dale Mabry Hwy. and N. Lois Ave. be affected?
We will keep you apprised as things move along, since it will be fascinating to see how two divisional rivals approach this.
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