Pinellas County Commission Chairwoman Kathleen Peters submitted a letter to the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday and called on the team to “formally declare your intent regarding this agreement and whether you intend for it to come to fruition.” according to the Tampa Bay Times. Peters' letter is the latest development in a situation that has led to a dispute between the local government and the team over a proposal to build a new ballpark in the area in the coming years.
In his letter, Peters requested that the Rays submit a notice of termination by Sunday if they do not intend to continue down this path. Team owner Stuart Sternberg told the Times last week that the repeated delays in funding approval “sent a clear signal that we had lost the county as a partner,” and team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman followed up with a letter saying that the Rays are “ready.” to work with all willing partners on a new solution.” Auld and Silverman said the delays have made it impossible to expect the new stadium to be ready for the 2028 season as planned.
“Pinellas County acted in good faith and worked toward the stadium agreement while addressing the needs of our community following back-to-back hurricanes,” Peters said wrote. “If the Rays want to get out of this agreement, you have the right to terminate the contract. Clear communication of your intentions will be critical to the next steps of this partnership.”
Auld has since issued a statement that reads:: “We are committed to working with all partners on a solution for the 2029 season that keeps Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay for generations to come. As always, we will maintain contact with the city and county as we shape our future.”
Plans for the $1.3 billion stadium included a 30,000 ballpark capacity and a sloped roof, similar to the existing Tropicana Stadium. Major plans for the surrounding gasworks district included 5,400 residential units, 750 hotel rooms, 1.4 million square feet of office and medical space, 750,000 square feet of retail space, a new Woodson African American Museum of Florida and a 4,000-seat concert/entertainment venue, according to the Teams on 6,000 seats and 14 hectares of green space.
Just last week, the County Commission decided to postpone a vote on the public financing aspect of the Rays proposal until Dec. 17. . The city council then changed course and voted against this measure. (The Rays will play theirs 2025 home games at Steinbrenner Fieldthe spring training home of the New York Yankeesas well as the home of the Yankees' A-ball affiliate.)
As expected, the Rays have resumed their favorite pastime: saber-rattling about the move. Team co-president Auld, told reporters last Thursday that a deal was no longer on the table. So it's unclear what exactly the future holds for the Rays – in St. Petersburg and overall.