The Rays’ ballpark proposal has passed an “important test at the county level” as Hillsborough County Commissioners on Wednesday “approved a nonbinding memorandum of understanding” between the county and team for the Rays’ proposed $2.3B Tampa ballpark. After previously setting June 1 as the deadline for definitive agreements, the team “shifted its focus” to a nonbinding MOU before the end of May. The Tampa City Council will “vote on Thursday.” The MOU outlines a $976M public contribution toward the cost of the stadium, with $796M from the county and roughly $180M from the city (TAMPA BAY TIMES, 5/20).
Wednesday’s vote was the “first of three approvals” slated for this week. It came in a 5-2 vote. The approval will “allow negotiations to continue as the Rays and the local governments draft and finalize definitive agreements that will be voted on at a later date.” If the Tampa City Council votes against the MOU on Thursday, negotiations “would halt” (TAMPA BAY BUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/20).
