$50M Hillsborough College Infrastructure Package Tied to Tampa Bay Rays Stadium Deal

State budget negotiators have proposed a $50 million allocation for building upgrades at Hillsborough College, contingent upon the finalization of a $2.3 billion, 31,000-seat stadium and mixed-use project for the Tampa Bay Rays. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Ed Hooper stated that the funding, intended to renovate three college buildings, will not be officially committed until the team and local governments finalize their financial agreements. The Rays are currently seeking approximately $976 million in support from the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County.

While the project remains in the planning stages, non-binding agreements and a ground lease have recently been advanced by the Hillsborough College Board of Trustees, the Hillsborough County Commission, and the Tampa City Council. Gov. Ron DeSantis has indicated he will not commit to the $50 million funding package until the larger stadium deal is resolved. The proposed development, led by a group headed by Patrick Zalupski, would be integrated into a complex encompassing 135 acres of campus land.