Tampa St. Petersburg, FL, September 19, 2026 — Rays CEO Ken Babby recently toured The Battery Atlanta, the mixed-use development adjacent to Truist Park, home of the Atlanta Braves. The visit served as a preview for the Tampa Bay Rays’ own planned ballpark and entertainment district development in Tampa.

The objective of Babby’s visit was to examine the operational and commercial aspects of The Battery Atlanta, a model development designed to function as a year-round destination. The Tampa Bay Rays are aiming to adopt and build upon this concept for their upcoming project.

The Rays’ proposed development is envisioned as a comprehensive live, work, and play environment, intended to operate 365 days a year. This strategy mirrors the approach taken by The Battery Atlanta, which integrates residential, commercial, and entertainment spaces around a baseball stadium.

The estimated cost for the Tampa Bay Rays’ new project is $2.3 billion. The team is targeting an opening year of 2029 for the new ballpark and its associated entertainment district.

Specific details regarding the exact location within Tampa, the specific components of the entertainment district beyond a ballpark, or the financing structure for the $2.3 billion project were not detailed in the information provided. The contractor names and any specific architectural plans were also not made public.

The trend observed involves professional sports franchises investing in expansive mixed-use developments to create fan engagement and revenue streams beyond game days. This model seeks to maximize the utility and economic impact of stadium properties by transforming them into vibrant community hubs.


Story summarized from the original created by By Marc Topkin, Times staff on www.tampabay.com, see more information here.

Media gallery

About The Author
SignalNewsAI