Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise, the Tampa Bay Rays, have revealed there plans for a new domed stadium in St. Petersburg, east of their current home at Tropicana Field.
The venue will seat 30,000 fans, while having no upper deck seating and will likely cost over US$1 billion, with the Rays moving to the stadium in 2028 after their lease finishes.
Additionally, the team will work with architecture firm, Populous and real estate firm, Hines, who also worked on the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park.
Commenting on the stadium proposal, Rays chief development officer, Melanie Lenz, said: “It’s a fixed roof with operable walls. So we’re able to open the walls up and invite the community in but have a fixed roof to guarantee comfort and gain certainty (against rain being an issue),” she said.
The Rays also want to build a new housing and retail area, which will include 5,700 family units, 300,000 square feet (91,440 square metre) retail space, 700 hotel rooms, 600 residence for seniors, 2,500-seater entertainment venue and a 1.4 million (426,720 square metre) office area.
The announcement comes after the MLB sold their remaining stake in BAMTech to Disney.