The Westshore Alliance supports the Tampa Bay Rays ballpark and redevelopment proposal. It would be one of the most transformative projects in the history of Hillsborough County and the City of Tampa. There are many details still to be determined and negotiated between the Rays and local authorities. But the Rays’ proposal of a public-private partnership represents the best opportunity for a return on investment and keeping Major League Baseball in Tampa Bay.
The Rays project site is approximately 120 acres of land in the Drew Park neighborhood of the Westshore District. The development would come at a time when Westshore and Drew Park are not growing at the same level as Tampa and Hillsborough County. Office buildings and a major hotel have been demolished in Westshore for Interstate 275 expansion, leading to a reduction in property values. It is critical that public investment occurs in Westshore because all property taxes generated here fund projects across Hillsborough County and Tampa, unlike developments in Downtown Tampa and Ybor City.
Building a Rays ballpark and mixed-use development on under-utilized or untaxed land is the best scenario for a return on public investment. We do not yet know exact uses, but the scale of the Rays’ development is similar to the ratios of other mixed-use developments in Westshore like WestShore Plaza (54 acres) and Midtown Tampa (23 acres).
This community has always invested public dollars in private investments, from the original Tampa Stadium to extending City water pipes to build out Tampa Palms. This site, once part of Drew Army Airfield, is another example. Any large project requires a public-private partnership. The Rays have planned several infrastructure improvements, including support for transit projects. The County and City should ask for more to keep the Rays on the site for decades and make the workforce investments necessary to assemble the crews who will build out this project.
Unlike baseball, economic development is a contact sport. The cost of doing nothing is far greater than the cost of this project. The Westshore Alliance supports the Tampa Bay Rays proposal. You can read the letter we sent to the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and Tampa City Council on our website, ChooseWestshore.com.
