Inside Tropicana Field, which saw its roof ripped open during Hurricane Milton. Credit: Photo c/o Tampa Bay Rays

What seemed like a done deal this summer—the Rays-Hines baseball stadium proposal and the Gas Plant Redevelopment project—now faces an uncertain future.

On Tuesday night, the Pinellas County Commission voted 6-1 to delay the vote on bonds necessary to finalize the deal until Dec. 17.

Hours before the meeting, the Tampa Bay Rays sent a letter to the Board of County Commissioners, blaming the delay on the county’s “failure to finalize” the bonds required to secure a 2028 stadium opening. The letter warned that pushing the vote would delay the opening to 2029, significantly increasing costs.

“We didn’t vote to kill the deal, nor should a three-week delay in a 30-plus-year commitment be a deal killer,” said Brian Scott, Vice Chair of the County Commission, during the meeting.
It’s been an unusual road to yesterday’s vote.

Hurricanes Helene and Milton caused widespread damage in Pinellas County and postponed bond votes initially scheduled for October. Milton, in particular, tore the roof off Tropicana Field, leading to the Rays’ recent decision to play its 2025 home games in Tampa.

Just weeks after the St. Petersburg City Council voted 5-3 to spend roughly $417 million to help build the new stadium, the city now faces more than $55 million in repair costs for a stadium slated to be demolished and rebuilt within three years.

Photos: Tampa Bay Rays share photos of damage to Tropicana Field

Earlier this month, Republicans overturned two key county commission seats: newcomer Vince Nowicki beat longtime Democrat Charlie Justice, and Chris Scherer won against Democrat and former Indian Rocks Beach Mayor Cookie Kennedy.

Sworn in just 24 hours before Tuesday’s meeting, the new commissioners expressed reservations about voting on the bonds without more information.

“We have tens of thousands of people in our county and cities whose lives have been destroyed,” Scherer said. “A true partner would understand this community needs to evaluate our damages and future financial commitments.”

Scott said he had spoken with Rays’ principal owner, Stuart Sternberg, after the initial delay in October. Sternberg expressed concerns over revenue projections and cost estimates, saying the team was “on the hook for the cost overruns.”

Scott interpreted this as a signal that the Rays might reconsider their commitment.
“At this point, you can only conclude one of a couple of things: either Sternberg wants out of the deal, he wants to renegotiate, or he wants to pin the failure on the County Commission—particularly on our newest members,” Scott said.

Scott urged the commission to honor its commitments, emphasizing that the bonds would be issued once the Rays deposited $100 million into an escrow account.
“Let Sternberg own the failure. Why should we own that failure?” Scott said.

Kathleen Peters, Pinellas Board of County Commissioner Chair, described the Rays deal as “transformative” for the region, pointing to its potential long-term financial benefits, including keeping taxes low.

“If the City of St. Petersburg hated this so much, the Chairman of their Council was the face of this deal, and a landslide re-elected her,” Peters said, referencing the recent reelection of St. Petersburg City Councilmember Deborah Figgs-Sanders.
St. Petersburg City Administrator Rob Gerdes said the city is focusing on quickly repairing Tropicana Field. When asked if the Rays might never return to Tropicana Field, Gerdes suggested the possibility of a settlement allowing both parties to exit their current agreement.

The St. Petersburg City Council will vote on Thursday, Nov. 21, on whether to fund repairs to Tropicana Field. Gerdes and the administration must appeal to several newly elected city council members who may or may not support the deal. That decision, along with December’s pivotal County bond vote, could threaten the deal’s future as well.