Hillsborough County Appoints Tampa Sports Authority to Oversee $300K Rays Stadium Construction Contract

Hillsborough County commissioners voted 5-2 on September 16 to appoint the Tampa Sports Authority as the liaison for the proposed Tampa Bay Rays ballpark project. This decision establishes a critical oversight role for the $300,000 contract, aiming to ensure transparency and accountability in the significant public investment.

The Tampa Sports Authority will serve as the primary bridge between the construction company and local governments throughout every phase of the ballpark's development. Their responsibilities include managing communications, processing all paperwork, and verifying work completed. Skanska construction will act as a consultant to the Authority, providing expert guidance on the project.

Commissioner Harry Cohen emphasized the importance of this arrangement, 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, echoing their previous opposition to the original stadium project. Their concerns centered on the potential for spending on consultants before bond votes, which will determine public funding for construction, have occurred. County officials have not yet set an exact date for these bond votes, but they aim for sometime this fall.

Public funds cannot be used for construction until the bond votes pass. However, the Rays can use their own money to finalize design work in the interim. The new ballpark is intended to serve as the team's home for at least 35 years.