Following last month’s approval of the new Tampa Bay Rays ballpark financing by the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners and Tampa City Council, the Rays today took another step toward bringing the project to life with the announcement of the Rays Ballpark Experience Center opening in early 2027.
The Rays Ballpark Experience Center will be a one-of-a-kind destination, offering fans, sponsors and premium partners – both current and prospective – a unique opportunity to visualize and experience
the future Rays ballpark and surrounding mixed-use district, years before the ballpark is scheduled to open in 2029.
“The Rays Ballpark Experience Center, when it opens in a few months in Westshore, will be what ‘Forever is Now’ is all about,” said Rays Chief Executive Officer Ken Babby. “Rays fans, sitting anywhere from general to premium seating, will no longer have to imagine their experience in our new ballpark. One visit to the Experience Center will make it all real and serve as a reminder of why we love baseball, and especially our team. The Experience Center will also preview the new mixed-use district plus a chance to preview our new district with engagement with hotel, office, and retail-related experiences.
“As important, our sponsors and marketing partners will see how their investment in the ballpark will deliver an entirely new level of energy and connection with Rays fans and their target audiences, which are often the same. The Experience Center will illustrate how signage, activation, client engagement, and opportunities that may have been difficult to imagine not long ago will be possible when the Forever Home opens in 2029.”
The Experience Center will be located at 1111 North Westshore Boulevard at Westshore City Center, owned by Ally Capital Group and leased and managed by Franklin Street. Approximately one-third of the nearly 15,000-square-foot center will be open to the public and feature retail, family-friendly experiences, coveted Rays memorabilia, and exhibits highlighting the new ballpark and surrounding district. Fans will be able to explore a digital preview of the ballpark and campus, create a personalized baseball card, and discover new Rays experiences celebrating the past, present, and future.
The remaining space will offer an appointment-only, immersive journey designed to help prospective season ticket members, premium clients, and partners envision their place and experience in the new ballpark and district. Leveraging advanced technology, visitors will be able to explore different seating viewpoints, hospitality and premium offerings, group areas, and elements of the complete ballpark and district experience.
The Experience Center, located only several miles from the site of the future ballpark, will also serve as symbolic but tangible confirmation of the team’s presence in Tampa. The Rays will employ full-time staff to operate the Experience Center as a full-time destination that will feature a team store, conference and meeting spaces, and other amenities that bring new business and consumer activity to Westshore.
“The Experience Center will be like walking into the future,” Babby said. “Fans and partners will be able to see it, feel it, hear it, and experience it – from sitting in the seats, or food and beverage locations they may choose, to exploring the clubhouse, to understanding the full journey of arriving at the ballpark and enjoying the district around it. Rays fans have waited a long time for this, and we are overjoyed to be able to offer that experience right now, in Tampa, where we will begin to build the Forever Home in the months ahead.”
The Rays have partnered with Advent, a global experiential design and technology company, to design the Experience Center. Gensler has been selected as the project architect, and Tampa-based iConstructors will serve as the general contractor.
“When we sat down with Ken Babby and his team to discuss the Forever Home project, we were blown away the team’s energy and vision,” said Advent CEO John Roberson. “Tampa Bay fans have a lot to look forward to, and we are thrilled to help them get a taste of what that experience will be like when they visit the Center.”
Construction is scheduled to begin in October. The Rays have entered into a lease for approximately 9,000 square feet on the first floor for the Experience Center and nearly 6,000 square feet on the second floor for 40 to 50 support staff dedicated to sales efforts for the new ballpark.
Earlier this week, the Rays posted signage at the Westshore City Center property to signal the news that the Experience Center is coming soon.
“As one of the largest investors and property owners in the Westshore Business District, Ally Capital Group has been investing in and helping shape the future of Westshore for years,” said Ally Capital Group Chief Executive Officer Grant Werbeck. “The opportunity to welcome the Tampa Bay Rays to Westshore City Center represents a once-in-a-generation catalyst that could further elevate the district as one of the Southeast’s most dynamic live-work-play destinations. We are incredibly excited about the energy, investment, and momentum this transformative project could bring to Westshore and the broader Tampa Bay region, creating tremendous long-term value for businesses, residents, visitors, and the entire community.”
“This is a new way to think about professional and live sports, and it is going to be ours right here in Tampa,” Babby concluded. “We will offer a level of ballpark intimacy and energy unlike anything in Major League Baseball, faithful to our commitment to a best-in-class experience we have promised to deliver to fans and partners alike in 2029.”
Additional information about the Experience Center, including public hours and appointment scheduling, will be announced at a later date.
