Rays new home will be Major League Baseball’s most intimate ballpark, bringing the outside inside with windows, porches and an innovative design
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Tampa Bay Rays and their ballpark design firm, Populous, released new renderings and more details about the Rays neighborhood ballpark that will be a central feature in the Historic Gas Plant District Development.
The Rays neighborhood ballpark is the anchor to the Historic Gas Plant District Development. At full buildout, the project will include upwards of 8 million square feet of development including more than 5,000 residential units, 600 affordable/workforce housing units on the site and another 650 units elsewhere in the city, 1.4 million square feet of office/medical space, and 750 hotel rooms. For full details on the Historic Gas Plant District Development, visit RaysBaseball.com/HereToStay.
The approximately 30,000-seat ballpark will have a three-deck design and feature a variety of comfortable seating types, from premium clubs and suites to flexible viewing areas, decks, and social gathering spaces. All concourses will include views of the field, and the park will feature a wide variety of fan amenities including a successor to the fan-favorite Rays Touch Tank Experience at Tropicana Field. “Our baseball park will be the most intimate and inviting in the sport,” said Rays President Matt Silverman. “The park is designed to bring our fans as close to the field as possible, to create a distinctive, compelling game experience.”
The ballpark’s design takes cues from a pavilion design. The venue will feature a fixed roof, large windows that wrap around the building, as well as doorways and terraces that connect the inside to the outside, and the outside to the inside. Porches play a key role in the venue’s design. The front porch historically played an integral social role in the former Gas Plant neighborhood and across St. Petersburg. The front porch to the ballpark will open up to a main plaza acting as a community gathering space within the Historic Gas Plant District. “Designing this next-generation major league ballpark and development together within the heart of a great city is something that has never been done before,” said Populous Principal Architect Zach Allee. “The opportunity to do something unique, innovative and authentic for St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay Rays fans is truly exciting.” In addition to serving as the home of Rays baseball, the 365-day venue will be fully integrated into the surrounding development and adjacent neighborhoods. It will serve as a host to a variety of special events including concerts, festivals, conferences and graduations throughout the year.
The St. Petersburg City Council and the Pinellas County Commission are expected to vote on the ballpark in July. Construction on the ballpark will start in January 2025, and it will be ready for Opening Day 2028. Click here for new renderings of the ballpark. For more information, visit RaysBaseball.com/HereToStay.
—RAYS—
The Tampa Bay Rays mission is to energize the community through the magic of Rays baseball. The organization is committed to building a strong community bond through meaningful interactions and charitable donations and has proudly represented Major League Baseball since 1998.
