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City of Tampa approves Raymond James renovations

Posted at 11:24 AM, Dec 17, 2015
and last updated 2015-12-17 11:24:00-05

Tampa City Council approved a deal Thursday to help fund major renovations at Raymond James Stadium.

In a 6 to 1 vote, the council agreed to support the project at the publicly owned stadium.

Charlie Miranda cast the dissenting vote.

The Buccaneers are committing $59 million toward the $100 million project.

The TSA Board of Directors approved the plan Tuesday and Hillsborough County approved it on Wednesday.

The first phase of renovations includes new, state-of-the-art HD video boards in each end zone, four HD tower video displays in each corner of the lower bowl and HD ribbon boards in the center ring of the suite level.

The proposed new end zone boards would be expanded and measure 9,600 square feet each, while each tower display will measure 2,304 square feet for a total video display area of 28,416 square feet -- the third-largest in the NFL, according to Wednesday's Bucs/TSA joint statement.

The project will also include a new, state-of-the-art sound system and concessions upgrades, in addition to the renovation of all luxury suites.

All of that might be ready for the start of the 2016 season.

The second phase of renovations would be completed in time for the 2017 season including an extensive renovation of the east and west club lounges, expansions of the general concourses and construction of a team store.

"This is a great day for our entire community as we work toward an agreement that ensures Raymond James Stadium will remain one of the top sports facilities in the country," said Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford. "The proposed agreement will provide the type of much-needed enhancements that will improve the in-game experience for our loyal Buccaneer fans and will play a key role in our ability to attract the types of large-scale events that we have grown accustomed to hosting over the years."