Foley Represents Tampa Bay Rays in Agreement Advancing New Ballpark and Destination District
The Tampa Bay Rays have secured key government approvals for a new ballpark and surrounding mixed-use development in Tampa, moving the Major League Baseball franchise closer to establishing a long-term home in the region.
The Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners approved agreements connected to the project, which calls for a new stadium anchoring a larger entertainment and commercial district.
The approvals represent a significant step for a franchise that has spent years pursuing a new stadium while questions persisted about its long-term future in the Tampa Bay area.
Plans call for the ballpark to serve as the centerpiece of a walkable destination district combining professional sports with retail, entertainment and other commercial development. The project is expected to include public spaces and other amenities designed to attract visitors beyond Rays games.
The development would place the Rays near several of Tampa’s other major sports venues, further concentrating professional sports and entertainment activity in the city.
The project comes after years of uncertainty surrounding the Rays’ stadium situation. The team has played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg since its inaugural season in 1998, but the franchise has explored multiple alternatives for replacing the aging stadium.
Those efforts have included proposals on both sides of Tampa Bay and discussions about potentially splitting the team’s home schedule between Florida and Montreal.
The Rays previously pursued a new stadium as part of a redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District surrounding Tropicana Field. That project encountered difficulties after Hurricane Milton severely damaged Tropicana Field’s roof in October 2024, adding another complication to the franchise’s stadium plans.
The latest Tampa proposal shifts the focus of the franchise’s long-term stadium strategy across Tampa Bay to Hillsborough County.
The development also follows a change in Rays ownership. A new ownership group acquired the franchise in September 2025, setting the stage for renewed efforts to resolve the team’s stadium situation.
Large professional sports developments increasingly combine stadium construction with surrounding real estate projects. Teams and their development partners have used mixed-use districts containing restaurants, retail, offices, hotels, residential properties and entertainment venues to generate activity and revenue throughout the year rather than primarily on game days.
The Rays project follows that model, with the stadium serving as an anchor for a broader destination district.
Foley & Lardner LLP is advising the Rays on legal matters associated with the project, including real estate, development, financing, construction and corporate issues. The firm’s team includes partners Fred Ridley, Tommy Little and Allison McKown and associates Samantha Duran and Andy Halaschak. Foley also represented the ownership group in its 2025 acquisition of the franchise.
Additional agreements, financing arrangements and development steps are expected before construction can move forward. But approval from both Tampa and Hillsborough County represents one of the most significant milestones yet in the Rays’ effort to establish a new permanent home in the Tampa Bay region.