The Tampa Bay Rays withdrew from their planned $1.3 billion ballpark project on Thursday, citing hurricanes and financial delays that would drive up costs. Principal owner Stuart Sternberg pointed to a series of setbacks, including severe damage to Tropicana Field in October and stalled financing, calling it “a difficult decision.”

Displaced from their home stadium, the Rays will play this season at Steinbrenner Field, the New York Yankees’ spring training venue, while repairs to the Trop are underway. The stadium’s hurricane-damaged roof is expected to be replaced, with a return planned for 2026. Under their contract with St. Petersburg, the Rays must play three more seasons at the Trop once renovations are complete. Beyond that, their future in Tampa Bay remains uncertain, with MLB and the team set to evaluate attendance and fan engagement at Steinbrenner Field before considering alternate sites.

The proposed 30,000-seat stadium was meant to anchor a $6.5 billion redevelopment effort in the Historic Gas Plant District, an area once home to a predominantly Black community displaced by the construction of Tropicana Field and an interstate highway. The larger revitalization plan included a Black history museum, affordable housing, and commercial developments, with the promise of thousands of jobs. However, with the Rays’ withdrawal, the project’s future is now uncertain.