Last year, the Tampa Bay Rays, along with the city of St. Petersburg and Pinellas County, announced a new stadium and community redevelopment plan. Less than a year later, the Rays pulled out of the deal.

In the wake of the Tampa Bay Rays’ announcement that they won’t move forward with the current stadium deal in St. Petersburg, many elected officials around the bay echoed the same response: disappointment. Others lambasted what they considered a bad deal for taxpayers from the start.

The Tampa Bay Rays announced Thursday, March 13, 2025, that they will not proceed with the development of a $1.3 billion baseball stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida.