Report: County demands Rays' answer on new stadium by Sunday

The Pinellas County Commission is turning up the heat on the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Tampa Bay Times reported Monday that Pinellas County Commission Chairperson Kathleen Peters has sent a letter to Rays team presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman asking whether they plan to move forward on a new stadium. If not, she wants a notice of termination by Sunday.

“I am requesting that you official declare your intention regarding this agreement and whether you intend to see it come to fruition,” Peters wrote, according to the Times.

Last week, Auld and Silverman wrote their own letter to the county stating the team can't go ahead with the current stadium deal.

The commission voted last week to delay issuing bonds to provide the county's share for the stadium, $312.5 million, under the current deal. A vote on the bonds is scheduled for Dec. 17.

The commission went on to vote 6-1 to delay issuing bonds to provide the county share —$312.5 million — paid for with hotel and short-term rental taxes. The commission is scheduled to vote on the bonds Dec. 17.

Auld and Silverman wrote that the Rays cannot move forward with a stadium deal under the current terms and the team stands “ready to work on a new solution” in Tampa Bay.

In Peters' letter, she pressed the Rays to act quickly.

“Pinellas County has operated in good faith, working toward the stadium deal while balancing the needs of our community after back-to-back hurricanes,” Peters said. “If the Rays want out of this agreement, it is your right to terminate the contract. Clear communication about your intentions will be critical to the next steps in this partnership."

The Rays are being forced to play the 2025 season at the New York Yankees' spring-training complex in Tampa after Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof of Tropicana Field.

The hurricane pushed back the potential opening of a new stadium until 2029 at earliest.