- July 10, 2026
- Posted by: SVB
- Categories: Featured Articles, Features, Home News, Industry News, News, Press Releases
Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Tampa Bay Rays have released new renderings of the interior of their proposed ballpark in Tampa, giving fans a first glimpse inside the club’s Forever Home.
The renderings offer a colourful look at key interior elements that are important to fans, including a general seating bowl that will offer exceptional proximity to the field from every location in the ballpark.
The renderings also offer a glimpse of dynamic club spaces at a wide variety of price points, club areas adjacent to both bullpens, spectacular sky views for fans to enjoy no matter where they sit in the ballpark, a bar overlooking center field positioned above a retractable batter’s eye, and two video scoreboards which will rank among the largest and most technologically advanced in Major League Baseball.
Rays chief executive officer Ken Babby said:
“Ballpark design is always in motion, but we felt it was time to pause and share with our fans where we are today and anticipate going in the future.
“What we are unveiling today is a response to what Rays fans have told us they want — a comfortable and inviting ballpark that honors the intimate connection between fans and the game, while at the same time incorporating modern amenities and design innovations that they expect and deserve.
“We’re listening and working hard to deliver on what we feel will be the best ballpark experience in the game, bar none.”
Populous is one of the major sponsors for the 2026 SVB LIVE Conference & Exhibition – focused on elevating the live experience – being hosted at Everton FC’s spectacular new Hill Dickinson Stadium on October 1st and 2nd, with an Opening Night Icebreaker at Liverpool FC’s iconic Anfield Stadium on September 30th.
The primary plaza entrance will be positioned at center field, creating an iconic gateway to a Major League Baseball experience like no other.
What is certain to be a welcome feature for Rays fans will be the return of the team’s beloved Rays Touch Tank – a larger and deeper aquarium feature that will serve as home in the new ballpark to a host of rays.
Dynamic lighting systems will enhance night games, while expansive views of the sky and surrounding mixed-use development create an open yet connected feeling.
The approximately 30,000 fixed seats can expand for special events, ensuring flexibility for concerts, conventions, and other major gatherings.
The master design prioritizes playability and the natural outdoor experience, with outfield dimensions and other game- and player-related items currently under review.
The Rays selected Populous last year as the design lead for the new ballpark.
Populous, a globally renowned firm in the sports venue design industry, brings decades of experience to the Forever Home project, having led the design for 29 new and renovated Major League Baseball ballparks with a keen eye toward shaping the evolution of the modern game day experience.
The Forever Home ballpark is part of a larger proposed mixed-use neighborhood development anchored by a reimagined Hillsborough College Dale Mabry Campus, where the new ballpark would be located with a planned opening of 2029.
“Work, Live, Learn, Play” is the guiding principle of the privately financed, year-round neighborhood, with residential, educational, retail, hospitality, commercial, and community spaces creating constant energy and opportunity.
An independent economic analysis projects the broader development will generate $55.5 billion in total economic impact over 35 years, support 11,900 new permanent jobs, and attract approximately 10 million annual visitors to the district.
Design elements of the ballpark and related considerations will continue to evolve as the Rays work with elected officials and staff from the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County toward a funding agreement.
In addition to Populous, the Rays, Hillsborough College, and local officials continue to work with a broad coalition of project partners and stakeholders, including design and engineering firms Kimley-Horn, RCLCO, Beck, Walter P Moore, Terracon and ME Engineers, and advisory partners including Shubin Law Group, Foley & Lardner LLP, The Southern Group, Mercury, VOX Global, FleishmanHillard, CSL, and Tipping Point Sports.
Source and imagery courtesy of Tampa Bay Rays
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