Tampa council advances nonbinding Rays MOU after marathon public comment

Tampa City Council voted 4–3 on May 21 to advance a nonbinding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Tampa Bay Rays that would allow city, county and team negotiators to continue working toward a stadium‑anchored mixed‑use project in the Drew Park area.

Councilmembers Naya Young, Luis Viera, Bill Carlson and Chair Alan Clendenin voted to move the MOU forward; Charlie Miranda, Guido Maniscalco and Lynn Hurtak opposed. The MOU is explicitly nonbinding, and council members and the city attorney repeatedly emphasized that final project agreements would return for separate approval.

The vote followed more than three hours of public comment in the first session and additional testimony after a midday recess. Supporters — including business groups, hospitality and union leaders — urged council to keep the Rays in the region, saying the proposal could generate private investment, jobs and regional transit nodes. “This is a regional economic catalyst,” Michael Marino of the Westshore Alliance told the council, urging support for the MOU and a robust community benefits agreement.

Opponents urged caution and stronger enforceable protections for neighborhoods and taxpayer programs. Residents and neighborhood leaders repeatedly raised questions about using Community Investment Tax (CIT) and Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) funds for the project, potential displacement, and the timeline and enforceability of commitments promised in the MOU. “I am opposed to the use of CRA, CIT and any other tax money to fund the Rays’ stadium,” Pamela Cannella told the council, arguing those funds were intended for legally authorized CRA projects.

City staff framed the MOU as a negotiating framework rather than a contract. City Attorney Scott Steady read preamble language clarifying the MOU’s nonbinding nature while also noting council’s ‘‘sole and absolute discretion’’ on any final project agreements. Chief of Staff John Bennett and CFO Dennis Rogero walked members through funding elements the administration and negotiators discussed, including potential pay‑as‑you‑go uses of CIT revenue and a CRA bond component the MOU references as a future financing option.

Several council members said they supported moving the MOU forward to preserve bargaining leverage — and to avoid ending the conversation prematurely — while warning that many outstanding issues must be resolved in definitive agreements. Councilmember Hurtak said she wants stronger protections, clearer timetables and legal structures such as a community benefits agreement and anti‑displacement measures. Councilmember Maniscalco, who voted no, said he remained particularly concerned about committing up to $80 million in CIT without further assurances.

The CRA separately recessed and the CRA board voted to continue formal consideration of its funding role until a later meeting, giving CRA members time to analyze bond structures, plan amendments and community input.

Ken Babby, chief executive of the Rays, told the council the ownership group has increased the team’s private investment commitments and agreed to concessions during negotiations. “We’re on the cusp of making the largest community benefits agreement in the city of Tampa’s history,” Babby said, telling council that the team would assume cost overruns beyond a capped public obligation and that the MOU preserves continuing negotiations.

Next steps: Council’s approval advances negotiations but does not obligate public funding. Any final financing or project agreements must return to council (and, where applicable, the CRA) for separate votes. CRA board members said they will examine CRA boundaries, bond feasibility and safeguards in follow‑up sessions before any binding commitments are made.

Outcome: Motion to advance MOU approved 4–3; CRA action on its funding role continued for further review and negotiation.