The Rays need a new stadium. The Rays know this, Major League Baseball knows this, and the government around Tampa knows this. But stadiums don't appear out of midair; they're the result of a drawn-out, multi-step process. On Tuesday, the first step of that process was reached when Hillsborough County (Fla.) commissioner Ken Hagan announced that a site near downtown Tampa has been acquired, and the intention is to build the Rays a new stadium there.
Officials from Hillsborough County, which encompasses Tampa and nearby areas, reached a deal to gain control of roughly 14 acres in the Ybor City-Channel District area near downtown Tampa.