As we progress through the sale of the Tampa Bay Rays from owner Stu Sternberg to Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski for $1.7 billion, an intriguing subplot has emerged regarding the inclusion of the Tampa Rowdies in the sale. The lead developer for the highly sought-after Ybor City site, where a potential new stadium could be constructed, is Mr. Darryl Shaw, who also owns the women’s soccer league team, the Tampa Bay Sun.
Shaw’s Site Plans
The site has been the most talked about area for the Rays and was pitched to Sternberg but he chose to pass. Ybor Harbor is an exciting new 33-acre mixed-use waterfront development surrounding Ybor Channel, located just south of Adamo Drive. The project received initial approval from the Tampa City Council last year and is being undertaken by Shaw.
“Ybor Harbor is a transformative addition that will weave together our urban neighborhoods, linking Ybor City to the Channel District, Water Street, Gas Worx, and our downtown core. Our goal is to create a vibrant neighborhood, enhance connectivity, and attract the public to our city’s beloved waterfront,” said Shaw.
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Shaw Plans for a Sun Stadium that now could be home to three teams.
Earlier this year, Shaw announced his intention to construct a 15,000-seat soccer-only stadium for the Sun on the same land that could potentially host a new home for the Rays. A 30,000-seat stadium could serve as a venue for the Rays, Rowdies, and the Sun. With some creative scheduling, this could result in at least 120 guaranteed events per year at the Ybor site, not counting any other events that may be booked.
Zalupski and Shaw would be making a mistake if they didn’t form an alliance to create one of the best multi-use entertainment venues in the country. The stadium could serve as the centerpiece of a waterfront development that includes retail, commercial, and residential spaces, ultimately transforming a new area of Tampa.
We know the baseball part of the story but what about the soccer?
In their first season the Tampa Bay Sun FC brought the first-ever professional women’s sports title to Tampa Bay. The Sun took down in-state rival Fort Lauderdale United FC 1-0 to claim the inaugural USL Super League championship trophy. The Sun had the best home-field advantage in the league at Riverfront Stadium in Downtown Tampa. The Sun finished their inaugural season with 14 wins, 6 losses, and 10 ties.
The Tampa Bay Rowdies play their home games at Al Lang Stadium, which has a seating capacity of approximately 7,500 and is located on the bayfront in St. Petersburg. The team has experienced success both on the field and in terms of attendance. During a recent meeting discussing the future of Al Lang Stadium, city council member Gina Driscoll expressed concern about some of the proposed options which included tearing it down to open up more profitable waterfront development.
“That made my eye twitch a little bit,” Driscoll remarked. “I can’t imagine not having Al Lang Stadium. I can’t imagine not having the Rowdies.” Recently, the city of St. Petersburg extended the team’s lease at Al Lang Stadium and invested $3.1 million in repairs and upgrades following damage from last year’s hurricane.
It is important to note that the Tampa Bay Mutiny was a founding member of Major League Soccer (MLS), but they folded in 2001 due to several factors, including a lack of local ownership, insufficient promotion, and an unfavorable lease at Raymond James Stadium. The same situation occurred with the Miami Fusion, which also ceased operations in 2001. At that time, Major League Soccer was struggling significantly, and it took nearly a decade for the league to begin improving. In contrast, the Tampa Bay Rowdies, part of the now-defunct North American Soccer League (NASL), were not only successful on the field but also enjoyed impressive attendance, averaging 30,000 fans per season and drawing over 50,000 when legendary player Pelé and their arch-rivals, the New York Cosmos, visited. This demonstrates that Tampa has a long-standing history of supporting and loving soccer.
The Suns and the Rowdies in the same site makes too much sense.
But a new Rays, Rowdies and Suns Stadium could open the door for both soccer teams moving up to the big time for Rowdies it wouild be Major League Soccer, joining Orlando and Miami as in-state rivals.
MLS Commissioner Don Garber has often mentioned that Tampa could be a potential city for expansion. He has pointed out the area’s growth as a sports hub and the rising popularity of soccer in the region. Garber emphasized that cities like Tampa, Detroit, Phoenix, and Sacramento are strong candidates for future expansion. He specifically noted that Tampa is the largest television market in the U.S. without an MLS team, which has not gone unnoticed.
Miami owner and soccer icon David Beckham was thrilled with the over 50,000 fans who turned out earlier this year at Raymond James Stadium for an exhibition game against potential future rivals, stating that Tampa is a great soccer town. Inter Miami FC faced off against Orlando City, and it wasn’t just the match-up that attracted the massive crowd – fans were eager to see soccer legend Lionel Messi in action.
For the record the average size of an MLS stadium is about 25,000 seats so the Ybor site would not be an issue.
What about the Sun’s future?
The highest-level women’s soccer league in the United States is the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). In late 2022, the NWSL narrowed its expansion search down to three finalist cities: Tampa, Boston, and San Francisco. The league ultimately added San Francisco, and a late push allowed Salt Lake City to join as well, providing representation in the Mountain Time Zone for television purposes. Further expansion is expected in 2026 or 2027, and Tampa remains a strong contender. Many within the league would also like to see the Orlando Pride gain an in-state rival.
If the stadium were to be home to the Rays baseball team, as well as MLS and NWSL teams, we could see over 200 events taking place in Ybor City year-round. Those who believe this isn’t feasible might consider the example of the New York Yankees, who own New York City FC. The team plays most of its MLS home games at Yankee Stadium, with a few matches held at Citi Field.
There’s no reason the Ybor site couldn’t host the majority of these games, with some also played at Raymond James Stadium or the new USF Stadium. While this is far from a done deal, utilizing the Ybor site for baseball, soccer, concerts, and other events at Amalie Arena could transform downtown Tampa to Ybor City into one of the most desirable entertainment spots in the country, generating significant revenue for everyone involved.
Zalupski and Shaw should be exploring what could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a new and vibrant Ybor City. This endeavor seems worth pursuing. To paraphrase the final line from the movie Casablanca: “Patrick and Darryl, this might be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
