Rays: New owners promise to fix the stadium and look for a new one

New Owners of the Rays Promise Renovation and New Stadium

TAMPA, Fla. – The new owners of the Tampa Bay Rays have assured that they will repair the hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field in time for next season. In addition, they have begun the search for a new stadium that will open in 2029. The group led by Florida-based real estate developer Patrick Zalupski finalized the purchase for $1.7 billion last week from Stu Sternberg, who owned the Rays for 18 years and long sought to find a new stadium for the team. Zalupski, along with other senior executives such as Ken Babby and Bill Cosgrove, announced at a press conference that their intention is for the team to remain in the Tampa Bay area. Zalupski revealed that a site is being sought in the region that could include approximately 100 acres (40 hectares), where retail stores, bars, restaurants, and other amenities could be built, along with the stadium. The stadium itself, he said, would be a domed stadium with a fixed roof.

“We need a new stadium. I don’t think anyone is arguing that,” Zalupski stated. “We want to build a sustainable championship team. We are confident we can succeed in Tampa Bay.”

Patrick Zalupski

Babby, who was described as the team’s new CEO, acknowledged the “fatigue” existing in the area about where the Rays would build their new headquarters, with frequent speculation that they might decide to leave altogether. However, MLB has reiterated that it wants the team to stay. Several sites in the area were previously considered, such as the Ybor City neighborhood, rich in nightlife, the grounds of a Tampa community college, and even a former greyhound racetrack. “We are looking everywhere,” said Babby. “We don’t want to limit ourselves to a specific location or site.” Meanwhile, work continues at Tropicana Field, whose roof was torn off and suffered significant internal damage last October during Hurricane Milton. Babby reported that by the end of the week, half of the Trop’s 24 roof panels will have been installed. According to their current lease with the city of St. Petersburg, the Rays are obligated to play at the Trop for three more seasons. The mayors of both Tampa and St. Petersburg attended the press conference. In March, the Rays withdrew from a $1.3 billion project to build a new stadium adjacent to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, citing the hurricane and delays that likely raised the cost of the proposal. This led Sternberg to sell the team, which had to pay the New York Yankees $15 million to play this season at the Yankees’ spring training stadium, Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. Zalupski, CEO of Dream Finders Homes Inc., based in Jacksonville, will be the team’s point person and will co-chair with Cosgrove, CEO of Union Home Mortgage in Ohio. Babby will lead the day-to-day business operations. Babby is CEO of Fast Forward Sports Group, which owns the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp of Triple-A, affiliated with the Miami Marlins, and the Akron RubberDucks of Double-A, a farm team of the Cleveland Guardians. During their time in St. Petersburg, the Rays have struggled with low attendance, although they have had success on the field. The Rays won the American League East titles in 2008, 2010, 2020, and 2021 and reached the World Series twice, losing to Philadelphia in 2008 and to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020. This year, the Rays failed to make the playoffs with a 77-85 record.