Florida Construction News staff writer
The Tampa Bay Rays are planning a new 15,000-square-foot experience centre in Westshore to give fans and prospective partners an early look at the team’s planned ballpark and surrounding mixed-use district.
The Rays Ballpark Experience Center is scheduled to open in early 2027, about two years before the new ballpark is expected to open in 2029.
The centre will be located at 1111 N. Westshore Blvd. at Westshore City Center, a property owned by Ally Capital Group and leased and managed by Franklin Street.
About one-third of the facility will be open to the public. The space will include retail, exhibits, Rays memorabilia and interactive displays focused on the future ballpark and its surrounding development.
Visitors will be able to explore a digital version of the planned ballpark and campus, create personalized baseball cards and view exhibits covering the team’s history and future.
The remainder of the centre will be used primarily for meetings and experiences for sponsors, premium partners and prospective commercial partners. The facility will provide opportunities to preview seating areas, signage, sponsorship activations and other features planned for the new stadium.
The centre is the latest step in the Rays’ plans following financing approval for the new ballpark by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and Tampa City Council last month.
The new ballpark is planned as part of a larger mixed-use district that will include hotel, office and retail components.
The Rays are targeting a 2029 opening for the new ballpark. The Experience Center is intended to provide a physical preview of the stadium and surrounding development while design and construction work continues toward that opening.
