THE Tampa Bay Rays have been boosted by local government voting in favor of authorizing $312.5 million in bonds for their new stadium.
Rays ownership had originally hoped to complete the $1.3bn ballpark in time for the 2028 season, although 2029 now appears to be a more realistic target.
The Pinellas County Commission voted 5-2 in favor of authorizing bonds for the Rays' new stadium, after MLB commissioner Rob Manfred helped sway opinion.
Funding was initially agreed to in the summer, only to twice be delayed over concerns regarding the project.
Manfred, 66, headed to Florida to throw his weight behind the Rays, stating his commitment to the MLB being present in the Florida market.
According to county commissioner Chris Latvala, the MLB chief's appearance played a significant role in swinging his vote.
He said, "While I do not trust the owner of the Rays, I trust Mr. Manfred. He is the reason I am voting yes.
"MLB is aware of the several instances where the Rays organization has intentionally tried to sabotage the very deal they agreed to.
"As a result of this vote, it is my hope that the Tampa Bay Rays will finally have an owner that our other wonderful local franchises have.
"I hope our vote today helps set the wheels in motion for a new owner and a new era of Tampa Bay Rays baseball."
Even having secured separate bonds worth $287.5 million, the Rays will have to finance the remaining $700 million of the project on their own.
It's possible that to do so, owner Stu Sternberg could look to find further external sources of funding.
Tampa Bay's current Tropicana Field home is set to be out of action indefinitely.
That's because it took significant damage during Hurricane Milton in October.
The roof of the 25,025-capacity stadium was completely destroyed by the intense storm.
Rays home games during the 2025 season will instead be played at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
The 11,000-seater minor league ballpark serves as the New York Yankees' spring training stadium.
It's claimed that the Rays will pay the Yankees $15 million to use their venue.
George M. Steinbrenner Field is located around 20 miles from Tropicana Stadium.
It remains to be seen where the Rays will play beyond the 2025 season.
On delays to building their new home, co-president Matt Silverman said, "As we have made clear, the county's delay has caused the ballpark's completion to slide into 2029,
"As a result, the cost of the project has increased significantly, and we cannot absorb this increase alone. When the county and city wish to engage, we remain ready to solve this funding gap together."