St. Petersburg City Council voted 5-3 today to approve the Rays and Hines’ $1.3B ballpark and mixed-use development project.
“It literally has taken a village, and a city, to get to this point right now,” Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said before the council vote. “I’ve been at this personally now for 20 years-plus. It was always my direct intention to keep the team in Tampa Bay. I know we will put together a product that will make each of you proud for decades to come.”
The vote ends the Rays’ long-running effort to replace the less than inspiring, domed Tropicana Field; the team has existed 26 years and has considered new ballpark options for more than half of that time, including, at one point, in Montreal. The team’s new ballpark — built on the current Tropicana Field site — will be surrounded by a mixed-use development overseen by Houston-based real estate developer Hines and total 86 acres…