The Rays and their development partners

Dec 2, 2022 - 7:01 PM

This afternoon the Tampa Bay Rays prepared a press release regarding their proposal for redeveloping Tropicana Field with a new baseball stadium, in partnership with two organizations: real estate developer Hines, and architecture firm Gensler.

Here are the public statements from leaders at all three organizations, via team press release:

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays mission is to energize the community through the magic of Rays baseball. The organization is committed to building a strong community bond through meaningful interactions and charitable donations, and has proudly represented Major League Baseball since 1998.

“For decades, Hines has demonstrated the knowledge, expertise, and reliability to deliver complex projects of this size and magnitude,” said Matt Silverman, President of the Tampa Bay Rays. “Hines has been acquainted with this site for fifteen years, and we know that Hines will be here fifteen years from now, fulfilling its promises and vision for the Historic Gas Plant District.”

“St. Petersburg deserves a world-class development partner with a track record of steering projects through the inevitable economic cycles we will face. With Hines leading this effort, we gain greater certainty of quality and timely completion. Together we can create a vibrant, equitable neighborhood that will be a wonderful home for Rays baseball for generations to come.”

Hines

“Together with the Rays, we have the opportunity to create a city-defining, diversified and inclusive placemaking village, with their new ballpark at its heart,” said Michael Harrison, senior managing director at Hines. “We have coordinated extensively with the Rays on the vision and master-planned design and infrastructure necessary for the stadium, which is essential to the long-term vitality and economic viability of the entire project. We look forward to bringing our extensive experience and lessons learned from Hines’ similar projects around the globe, as well as our track record of seamless integration with the surrounding community and neighborhoods to St Petersburg.”

“Hines is a global real estate investment, development and property manager. The firm was founded by Gerald D. Hines in 1957 and now operates in 28 countries. We manage a $92.3B portfolio of high-performing assets across residential, logistics, retail, office, and mixed-use strategies. Our local teams serve 634 properties totaling over 225 million square feet globally. We are committed to a net zero carbon target by 2040 without buying offsets.”

Gensler

Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with over 50 locations across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Founded in 1965, the firm serves more than 3,300 active clients in virtually every industry. Guided by determined optimism, we believe the power of design can spark positive change and create a future that promotes equity, resilience, and wellbeing for everyone.

“Mayor Ken Welch’s goals for the Historic Gas Plant District are visionary. The Hines and the Rays team collectively have the heart and mind to build on this vision to capture the soul of the once thriving African American community that built their homes and lives on this land. As architects, we believe in the power of design to transform people’s everyday lives. We have embraced the Guiding Principles the city has established as the center-point of our design,” said Dawn Gunter, principal at Gensler.

“Over half of the project site is committed for public benefit uses including the restoration of Booker Creek as an active natural greenway and a new linear park connecting the site east to west. The entire Hines-Rays team is excited to work hand in hand with the City of St Petersburg and surrounding communities to collectively create a transformational District that will become a global example of equity, resilience, healing and joy.”

Read More:

• St. Petersburg received four proposals for Tropicana Field redevelopment
• Tampa Bay Stadium Saga