The Tampa Bay Rays today announced the first three public community engagement sessions, inviting residents across Hillsborough County to learn more about and share their input on the vision for a new ballpark and mixed-use district.
In partnership with Hillsborough College, the Rays will kick off the series on Tuesday, March 3, at the College’s Dale Mabry campus, with additional engagement opportunities taking place throughout the county and more sessions to be announced soon.
Community Engagement Sessions on New Ballpark and District
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.Hillsborough Community College – Dale Mabry CampusDale Mabry Student Services Auditorium (DSTU 111)4001 West Tampa Bay Blvd.Tampa, FL 33614
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.Jefferson High School Auditorium4401 W Cypress St.Tampa, FL 33607
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m.The Skills Center5107 N 22nd St.Tampa, FL 33610
Additional community engagement dates, locations, and details will be announced soon.
What to Expect at Community Engagement Sessions
Leadership from the Tampa Bay Rays and Hillsborough College will be in attendance to share the evolving vision for the project, provide updates, answer questions, and gather feedback from community members.
Ken Babby, Chief Executive Officer of the Tampa Bay Rays:
”Everything our ownership group is striving to achieve related to our Forever Home is focused on collaboration and partnership with the entire Tampa Bay community. The opportunity to personally deliver our plan is both an honor and essential to arriving at an outcome that will positively impact the future of the Rays, Hillsborough College and Tampa Bay as a whole. Even more important, each of these engagement sessions will be an important occasion for the Tampa Bay Rays to listen, because every voice from every corner of our region matters to us. We’re eager to share our approach and welcome the thoughts of neighbors, citizens, business owners, baseball fans, and many more from throughout Tampa Bay, as it will take all of us working together to bring this bold vision to life.”
Dr. Ken Atwater, President of Hillsborough College:
“We look forward to hearing directly from our students, faculty, staff, and the broader community as this exciting project continues to take shape. This partnership represents a transformational opportunity for Hillsborough College, and most importantly, for the student experience. By reimagining our Dale Mabry campus as part of a vibrant, mixed-use district, we have the opportunity to enhance campus facilities, expand workforce offerings and internship pathways, and create new avenues for learning and career development that will benefit our students for generations to come.”
Over the past several weeks, the Rays have been meeting with a variety of stakeholder groups across the community, including first responders, members of the business community, civic leaders, and other key partners, as part of a broader effort to ensure thoughtful and collaborative planning from the outset.
These public sessions will give baseball fans, Hillsborough College students and faculty, nearby residents, and community and business leaders an opportunity to review evolving concepts, ask questions, and share feedback that will help shape the final design.
Context on New Ballpark and District
The plan and partnership with Hillsborough College are designed to improve campus facilities, expand workforce development, and create curriculum and internship opportunities for more than 45,000 students, reinforcing the site as a key driver of regional growth.
The project is envisioned as a public–private partnership, with ballpark costs shared between the team, Hillsborough County, and the City of Tampa. The broader, multi-billion-dollar mixed-use development will be 100 percent privately financed.
A recent independent economic analysis projects that the mixed-use development will generate $34 billion in direct economic impact, support 12,000 new permanent jobs, and attract approximately 10 million annual visitors to the campus and surrounding district once fully built out — on par with annual attendance at a major U.S. theme park.
The Rays and Hillsborough College are consulting closely with a broad coalition of project partners and stakeholders, including Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, Hillsborough County Public Schools, and design, engineering, development, and finance partners.
Rays fans and community members can learn more about the project and make a $19.98 deposit to secure early access to seating in the new ballpark by visiting NewBallpark.RaysBaseball.com.
