Tampa Bay is not moving.
The Tampa Bay Rays will make an announcement about their new stadium on Sept. 20, MLB.com, the official website of Major League Baseball, reported on Sept. 19.
According to MLB.com, the Tampa Bay Rays and the city of St. Petersburg will gather at Tropicana Field on Sept. 20 to announce plans for a new stadium. The club has yet to make an official comment on the deal, but it appears to be finalized.
A new stadium has been a “long time coming” for Tampa Bay. Tropicana Field, Tampa Bay’s home stadium, is located in an inconvenient transportation location and is a closed-dome stadium with deteriorating facilities. Despite the team’s success, attendance was dismal. The Rays were considering building a new stadium elsewhere or even relocating.
However, Tampa Bay will remain in St. Petersburg with a new stadium. According to MLB.com, the new ballpark will be a redevelopment of the Tropicana Field neighborhood. The team is aiming for a 2028 opening, as the Tropicana Field lease expires in 2027.
The new stadium will cost about $120 million and will be a closed dome stadium rather than a retractable one. The stadium will seat about 30,000 people and include a hotel, residential neighborhoods, and other amenities.
It will be interesting to see if Tampa Bay, a postseason “regular” but one of the least popular teams in Major League Baseball, can make the leap to popularity with the new stadium. 메이저놀이터