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Ray Focus on the Former Kforce Site Based in Ybor City

by Michael Abdoney - 10/29/2021 -Tampa

The Tampa Bay Rays are currently searching for a new ballpark in Tampa. The search is in Ybor City, where the Kforce headquarters were situated earlier. The reports were being issued by county and city officials.

Charlie Miranda is a city council member, and he said that he had a conversation that Rays were going there. It is among the sites that are currently being discussed. However, the Rays are not the ones who issued the information.

Bonnie Wise is a county administrator, and he went ahead to confirm that the site at Palm Ave is currently in play. That’s the only thing that Wise has heard. He is yet to know how everything will be situated. No proposals have been made so far. Also, there are no negotiations underway.

During a particular midday ceremony, there was a “Rays Up!” banner, and it was situated at the side of the Municipal Building Office in the City. Some people went ahead to talk to Jane Castor, the current Mayor; however, she didn’t get into specifics when she was asked whether the Rays were interested in the ballpark location.

Castor went ahead to state that such questions should be addressed to the Rays. After the ceremony came to an end, Matt Silverman and Brian Auld, the Rays team presidents, left, and they didn’t address the reporters. It is well known that the Rays have different great spots in Tampa and other regions as well.

Together with a particular piece of property owned by the Hillsborough Community College, a site that served as the headquarters to the professional services and services firm, the Rays can build a stadium that can hold 25,000 people at once. The stadium has been proposed for the split season concept.

For the stadium to be large enough, there is the need to add enough land, including the land owned by the community college next door. The property currently falls within the boundaries o Ybor’s city community redevelopment area, which means the new ballpark can generate millions.

After reaching a deal, it is expected that there will be an outdoor stadium which is suitable for dual-use for the team-owned Rowdies soccer franchise.

There is an investor group currently under the leadership of Darry Shaw, and they acquired the Kforce land in May for $24 million. There were 2.5 acres of commercial land that was vacant, and 6.25 acres held the Kforce building. The property had been leased to an electric company. When public records were requested, the college went ahead to say there were no written documents about the parcel of land. The utility also stated that their lease on the property would last for the next 99 years.

Pat Kemp is the commission chairwoman at Hillsborough, and she went ahead to state that she liked the Kforce building. She was mainly referring to the aesthetics of the building. Nonetheless, the main focus is on a stadium. It has been highly prioritized. With a stadium, the local economy in Tampa will grow significantly.