Updated Photos Of New Rays Stadium

Well, we know that the Tampa Bay Rays will be getting a new stadium. Well, there are some new updated photos of the new Rays stadium. We even got a flyover of the inside of what the new Rays stadium will look like.

“Our baseball park will be the most intimate and inviting in the sport,” Rays’ President Matt Silverman said in a statement. “The park is designed to bring our fans as close to the field as possible, to create a distinctive, compelling game experience.”

Full approval of the building of the stadium still has not been given. The St. Pete City Council and the Pinellas County Commission are going to vote on it in July. If it’s approved construction will begin early in 2025. If a deal cannot be reached by the City Council and the county then they’re still as a chance the Rays could move.

The stadium will be built near where Tropicana Field sits now. It will be part of the redevelopment of the 86-acre historic Gas Plant District. The first season the Rays will play in the new stadium will be for the 2028 season.

The stadium is expected to have a fixed dome roof, artificial for artificial turf field and have seating for around 30,000 fans. It will cost more than $1.3 billion. The Tampa Bay Rays, the City of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County will contribute to the funding of the new stadium.

The Rays have currently been playing at the Trop since their inaugural season in 1998. This is their 25th anniversary season. Tropicana Field was originally opened in 1990. It was called the Florida Suncoast Dome. In 1993 the Tampa Bay Lightning moved from the Expo Hall at the Florida State Fairgrounds into the Florida Suncoast Dome. It was then changed to the ThunderDome. It became the name Tropicana Field in October 1996. Tropicana is based in Bradenton and signed a 30 year naming rights deal.

Tropicana Field in St. Pete is showing its age. The debate of where to put a new stadium has been debated for years, but it seems a decision has finally been made. The Tampa Bay Rays and the City of St. Petersburg held a joint news conference this morning to announce their deal for a new ballpark. It'll be built next to The Trop.

The big thing that has held up the process for years is ... who will pay for this? It looks like the Rays and the city struck close to a 50/50 deal. The Rays will pay for half of the $1.3 billion cost. The city and county will pitch in about the same.

The new stadium will hold about 30,000 for Rays games. An additional 5,000 seats will be able to be used for other events. The redevelopment isn't limited to the baseball stadium. There will be new residential units, senior housing, space for businesses, hotels, and even a new museum. Where Tropicana Field is now will be converted to parking space.

So what will the new neighborhood look like once the work is done in about 5 years? Global architecture, design, and planning firm Gensler shared these photos with us. Looks incredible!