Video above: (Previous report) Will Rays ballpark deal in St. Pete reach home base?
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa Bay Rays will not be getting a new stadium in St. Petersburg under the existing deal, the team announced Thursday.
Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg released a statement on X stating the organization “cannot move forward with the new ballpark and development project at this moment.”
“A series of events beginning in October that no one could have anticipated led to this difficult decision,” Sternberg wrote.
Sternberg said the city of St. Petersburg is moving forward with plans to restore the existing stadium, which was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton, for the 2026 season. The team’s lease at Tropicana Field ends in 2027.
In the meantime, the Rays will play their 2025 home games across the bay in Tampa at George Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
“As we all recover from impacts of the hurricanes, we are incredibly grateful for the support from our fans and the wider Tampa Bay community,” Sternberg wrote.