Local Baseball Fan Pitches Two-Stadium Plan for Rays’ Future
Graham Brink, a writer for the Tampa Bay Times put forward a bold plan: build a 15,000-seat open stadium in Tampa while keeping St. Petersburg’s Tropicana Field. The split setup…
ST PETERSBURG – OCTOBER 10: In this aerial view, the roof of Tropicana Field is seen in tatters after Hurricane Milton destroyed it as the storm passed through the area on October 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida. The storm made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane in the Siesta Key area of Florida, causing damage and flooding throughout Central Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Graham Brink, a writer for the Tampa Bay Times put forward a bold plan: build a 15,000-seat open stadium in Tampa while keeping St. Petersburg's Tropicana Field. The split setup would let the Rays host games in fresh air during mild weather and move indoors when summer hits.
The Rays declined to comment on the idea, and Major League Baseball did not respond.
"I like the creative thinking," said one of twelve baseball fans asked about the idea, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The pitch calls for spring and early-season matchups at the new Tampa site. When summer heat strikes, games would shift to an updated Tropicana Field. Fall contests could return outdoors as temperatures drop.
Cost estimates remain unclear. A new 30,000-seat indoor venue in St. Petersburg carries a $1.3 billion cost. Smaller projects tell part of the story: An 8,000-seat minor league field near Salt Lake City cost $140 million, while Knoxville built a 6,355-seat park for $114 million.
Hurricane Milton left Tropicana Field needing $56 million in fixes. Making it last would take much more money.
The concept faces steep challenges: finding Tampa land, securing funds, getting two counties to join forces, and winning public backing for dual stadiums.
This proposal follows a failed bid to split games between Tampa Bay and Montreal: a plan MLB rejected due to the 1,300-mile gap between cities.
USF plans to build a 35,000-seat outdoor stadium costing $340 million. The Rays' old plans for a 30,000-seat open venue in Ybor City had a $600 million price tag eight years ago.
