Rays Could Move to Orlando if $2.3 Billion Tampa Stadium Deal Fails, DeSantis Sees Bidders
Updated
Updated · Orlando Sentinel · May 14
Rays Could Move to Orlando if $2.3 Billion Tampa Stadium Deal Fails, DeSantis Sees Bidders
1 articles · Updated · Orlando Sentinel · May 14
$2.3 billion in proposed Tampa stadium funding is now the pivot point for the Rays, with John Morgan saying the club would relocate to Orlando if local approval collapses.
Morgan said Tampa and Hillsborough County likely lack the votes, despite the team offering $1.235 billion plus insurance, repairs and cost overruns for the planned ballpark.
Orlando's case rests on demand and money: Morgan said the region's 80 million annual visitors would support MLB, and he would rejoin efforts to bring the team there.
The Rays still say they are negotiating only with Tampa-area leaders and aim to finish a memorandum of understanding by month-end, with final votes targeted by or near June 1.
Ron DeSantis said Orlando would make a strong bid if the deal fails, adding that Charlotte and Nashville also would pursue the franchise.
Will Tampa's billion-dollar stadium gamble pay off, or will Orlando's tourism-fueled pitch win over the Rays?
Are Tampa taxpayers risking a billion dollars on a stadium deal that a key commissioner calls fundamentally flawed?