Hillsborough County Approves Tampa Bay Rays' New Ballpark

Hillsborough County commissioners approved the Tampa Bay Rays' new ballpark in a formal vote, per the club's announcement reported by Adam Berry on MLB.com — a result the franchise is calling the start of its forever home.

The approval follows a Tampa City Council vote that cleared the stadium deal, with the Hillsborough County vote arriving as the next step in what has been described as a $2.3 billion project. Managing Partner Patrick Zalupski and CEO Ken Babby each issued statements following the proceedings.

What it means

The vote ends a prolonged period of relocation uncertainty for the Rays, who now have a formal county-level commitment to a permanent facility in Tampa Bay. The club's own announcement frames the moment in those terms — "forever starts now" — which is about as unambiguous as franchise milestone language gets.

What remains unconfirmed

The source does not detail a construction timeline, a projected opening, or the specific terms of the county's financial participation beyond the project's reported overall cost. Those threads are worth watching as the deal moves through its next phases.