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Throughout the lengthy negotiations, public sentiment around the Rays’ ownership and their stadium plans has been mixed. There’s been a pronounced sense of whiplash as residents and local government officials grapple with repeated changes to the timeline and budget. The approval of bonds by Pinellas County, meant to finance a significant portion of the stadium costs, has come with the unsettling news from the Rays about delays and an inability to cover rising expenses.
Reports indicate that the team has projected an additional delay pushing the opening to 2029 and a staggering increase in costs—some estimating that the overspending could reach into the hundreds of millions due to construction overruns linked to a two-month delay in bond votes.