Report: Tampa Bay Rays will be sold at $ 1.7 billion
Owner Stu Sternberg reaches $ 1.7 billion agreement to sell to Tampa Bay Rays, according to a report
He owner of the Tampa Bay Rays, Stu Sternbergha arrived still agreement In principle by 1.7 billion dollars for sell the franchise still cluster led by him Patrick Zalupski real estate promoterwith Headquarters in Floridaaccording to an Athletic report.
As reported, the agreement is expected to close in September and will maintain the franchise in the area. Zalupski, Jacksonville housing builder, has a clear preference for Tampa instead of St. Petersburg.
Sternberg bought the Rays in 2004 for 200 million dollars.
According to Zalupski’s biography, he is the founder, president and executive director of Dream Finders Homes. The company was founded in December 2008 and closed the purchase of 27 homes in Jacksonville the following year. Now, with an extended presence to many parts of the United States, Dream Finders has closed the purchase of more than 31,100 homes since its foundation. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Florida.
As reported, the new owner group also includes Bill Cosgrove, executive director of Union Home Mortgage, and Ken Babby, owner of the Akron Rubberduks and the Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, both minor leagues teams.
A year ago, Sternberg had an agreement to build a new stadium in the historical district of the gas plant, a recreational, commercial and residential district renewed in St. Petersburg to replace the Tropicana Field.
However, after Hurricane Milton shattered the roof of the stadium last October, forcing the Rays to move temporarily, Sternberg changed his mind, stating that the team would have to take additional costs that were not budgeted.
“After a careful deliberation, we have concluded that we cannot continue with the new stadium and the development project at this time,” Sternberg said in a statement in March. “A series of events that began in October and that no one could have planned led to this difficult decision.”
The MLB commissioner, Rob Manfred, and other owners began in March to press Sternberg to sell the franchise, The Athletic reported.
It is unknown what the Zalupski group will do to build a permanent stadium, if the purchase finally concretizes and receives the approval of the owners of the MLB.
The Rays play at the George M. Steinbrenner Field, in Tampa, located in the same place as the spring training facilities of the New York Yankees and headquarters of the class Tarpons tarpons of Class A.
Field Level Media contributed to this report.
