Hillsborough County Taps Tampa Sports Authority for $300K Rays Stadium Construction Oversight

Hillsborough County commissioners voted 5-2 on September 16, 2026, to appoint the Tampa Sports Authority (TSA) as the liaison for the proposed Tampa Bay Rays ballpark project. This decision granted the TSA a $300,000 contract to manage communication and paperwork between construction efforts and local governments.

The Tampa Sports Authority serves as the central point of contact, connecting the construction company with local governments throughout every phase of the project. All documentation passes through the TSA, which also fields questions from city and county officials and verifies work. Skanska construction acts as a consultant for the authority, a setup designed to keep local officials informed during the extensive project.

Commissioner Harry Cohen emphasized the importance of value engineering, stating, "They wanted to make sure that they would have an opportunity to value engineer this ballpark as it is constructed. Because, after all, there is taxpayer money being used here. It's going to be a public facility. And when we talk about a forever home for the Rays, if that means. That for the next 35 years at least, this facility is going to be our ballpark, and we want to make sure it's constructed right."

Commissioners Cepeda and Wostal cast the two dissenting votes, expressing concerns about spending on consultants before bond votes occur. Both commissioners also voted against the original stadium project. County officials have not yet set an exact date for those bond votes, though they aim for sometime this fall. No public money can go toward construction until these bond votes pass. The Rays can use their own funds for design work in the interim. Once funded, the new ballpark is expected to serve as the team's home for at least 35 years.

The appointment of the Tampa Sports Authority marked a significant step in the ongoing development of the new Rays ballpark.