May 13, 2024

Rays and Hines inch closer to striking deal with city on Gas Plant development agreement

May 13, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

A nine-hour discussion ensued Thursday as St. Pete City Council members meticulously combed through the Tampa Bay Rays and Hines' 183-page development agreement for the Historic Gas Plant District.

It took over a decade and countless hours of negotiations to reach this milestone conversation about the $6.5 billion development that will transform 86 acres in the heart of downtown St. Pete into an 8-million-square-foot mixed-use district anchored by a new ballpark - becoming the largest project to ever commence in Tampa Bay.

If ultimately approved, the new 30,000-seat enclosed stadium will open in 2028 as part of the first phase of the 30-year planned development.

May 09, 2024

Rays and Hines release new renderings of Gas Plant District redevelopment

May 09, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

New renderings released today by the Tampa Bay Rays and Hines reveal an activated Booker Creek, Class A office space, and an art installation that will pay homage to the history of the Historic Gas Plant District.

The detailed renderings were unveiled during a Committee of the Whole meeting as councilmembers were beginning to examine and inquire about the terms and language of the draft development agreement with the joint venture partners.

In total, the project will include nearly 8 million square feet of mixed-use development and cost north of $6.5 billion over 20 years.

It will be the largest mixed-use development project in Tampa Bay history.

April 04, 2024

Tampa Bay Rays begin soliciting work for new parking garages for Gas Plant District redevelopment

April 04, 2024/ Veronica Brezina

The Tampa Bay Rays and the City of St. Petersburg are getting ahead of the game by soliciting work related to the proposed ballpark stadium and redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District.

Rays Stadium Co. LLC is seeking a qualified firm to provide professional design-build services for one or two event parking garages to serve a new Major League Baseball stadium, according to a March 12th solicitation notice.

The garages will replace existing surface parking lots and will be operational during the 2025 MLB season to provide parking for Rays games and other events at Tropicana Field.

November 09, 2023

The Rays propose 80-unit affordable housing building near Tropicana Field in downtown St. Pete

November 09, 2023/ Brian Zucker

The Rays and Hines, one of the largest privately held real estate investors and managers in the world, want to build an affordable housing building downtown St. Pete.

The group, which was selected to redevelop the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District site, has submitted an unsolicited proposal to lease a 0.58-acre property at 1659 3rd Avenue South from the City of St. Pete with plans to construct an affordable apartment building.

The parcel is adjacent to the $6.5 billion Historic Gas Plant District but was not included in the site. This building is in addition to the proposed Historic Gas Plant District redevelopment.e

September 18, 2023

The Rays expected to announce new stadium deal in downtown St. Pete

September 18, 2023/ Brian Zucker

The Tampa Bay Rays have reached an agreement to build a new baseball stadium in downtown St. Petersburg, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

An official announcement is expected on Tuesday.

The new stadium would be constructed as part of the redevelopment of the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District, where the current stadium resides, and open for the 2028 season.

Last year, the City of St. Petersburg published a request for proposals (RFP) for the Historic Gas Plant District. The Rays submitted a proposal for the site in partnership with Hines, one of the largest privately held real estate investors and managers in the world.