TAMPA — It’s still up in the air as to whether a new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark will land in Pinellas County or Hillsborough County.
More certain is that any new stadium will be one part of a much larger and more complex real estate deal.
With the era of standalone, isolated stadiums largely over, sports team owners increasingly are taking on the role of developer and using their stadiums as anchors for entertainment districts or retail and residential developments.
That includes the Detroit Redwings, whose plan for a new $450 million hockey arena is being combined with a $200 million project to build a hotel, office space, stores and restaurants.