

New details are emerging on a $6.8 billion proposal to reimagine prime, underutilized real estate around Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.
Many stakeholders thought those plans, unveiled Oct. 3 and now advancing, rejected a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. Dave Bevirt, chief operating officer for Ellison Development, stressed that his firm wants the team to remain part of the Historic Gas Plant District’s redevelopment.
Bevirt, speaking at a St. Petersburg Downtown Partnership meeting Tuesday, said Ellison Development has discussed the generational project with the new owners of the Rays. They announced ambitious plans Oct. 7 to open the 2029 season in a new stadium surrounded by a massive mixed-use development.