The Phillies have proposed upgrades to BayCare Ballpark. (Credit: Tampa Bay Business and Wealth)
The Phillies have called Clearwater home for Spring Training since 1947, longer than most franchises have stayed rooted in any one place. Now, nearly eight decades into that relationship, the club is aiming to push it to a full century — with a sweeping renovation plan that would keep them on Florida’s Gulf Coast through at least 2047.
At the center of those discussions is BayCare Ballpark, the Phillies’ spring home since 2004, which is due for a significant facelift.
According to a reports in both Tampa Bay Business and Wealth and The Tampa Bay Business Journal, club officials, along with representatives from Pinellas County, laid out a proposal this week that would pour roughly $205 million into modernizing the facility, upgrading both the fan experience and player development infrastructure.
A rendering of potential upgrades at BayCare Ballpark. (Tampa Bay Business and Wealth)
This funding would be tied to extending the Phillies lease through 2047, which would ensure them having called Clearwater their Spring Training home for 100 years.
The vision is ambitious but, in many ways, overdue. BayCare Ballpark has not undergone a major renovation since it opened more than 20 years ago, and in that time, Spring Training complexes across Florida and Arizona have turned into state-of-the-art showcases.
The Phillies’ proposal reflects a desire to keep pace — and perhaps reestablish themselves as the premier destination in Grapefruit League play.
Plans call for wider concourses, upgraded concessions (including a new Frenchy's!), enhanced seating areas and a complete overhaul of key fan-facing elements, including entrances and gathering spaces. A new video board, improved lighting and expanded retail options are also part of the package.
In addition, there are proposals for a center field fan deck and renovated club areas, all designed to create a more modern, immersive experience.
Renderings of potential upgrades to BayCare Ballpark (Tampa Bay Business and Wealth)Behind the scenes, the team is also prioritizing improvements to its player facilities.
While specific details are still being finalized, early concepts include upgraded training spaces such as a baseball lab, agility fields and pitching areas — all of which reflect the sport’s growing emphasis on data and development.
Funding for the project would come from a mix of sources. Pinellas County is expected to contribute at least $80 million in tourist development tax dollars, with some commissioners indicating a willingness to push that number closer to $85 million to ease the burden on local taxpayers.
The Phillies would commit $75 million of their own funds and assume responsibility for any cost overruns.
There is also a $20 million state grant in play, structured to be repaid to the city of Clearwater over time. The city’s exact financial contribution has yet to be finalized and will be determined in future council discussions.
County officials appear largely supportive of the plan, particularly because of the economic ripple effect the Phillies generate each spring.
Renderings of potential upgrades to BayCare Ballpark (Tampa Bay Business and Wealth)
According to data provided to TBBJ by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, the Philadelphia market represents the single largest source of hotel revenue in the region during spring training. In 2025 alone, roughly 380,000 visitors from the Philadelphia area traveled to Pinellas County, with more than a third of them arriving during the spring baseball season.
That steady influx of fans translates into packed hotels, busy restaurants and a seasonal jolt for the local economy — one that leaders are eager to preserve.
Brian Aungst Jr., a land-use attorney based in Clearwater, represented the Phillies and presented the framework of a new deal to the Pinellas County Commissioners at a recent meeting.
According to TBBW, there was an economic study cited during the presentation that estimates the Phillies generate roughly $80 million annually in local tourism dollars and that based on historical performance, that equals about $1.6 billion in the next 10 years.
The Phillies drew more than 103,000 fans to 16 Spring Training games in 2026, and their annual St. Patrick's Day game drew 10,129 fans, the highest-attended game in the Grapefruit League.
Not only that, the Phillies have already demonstrated a long-term commitment to the area. In 2022, the organization purchased 13.5 acres of land adjacent to the ballpark for $22.5 million, with plans to eventually develop a mixed-use complex featuring retail, entertainment and residential components. That project, however, is expected to remain on hold until the ballpark renovations are underway.
If completed, the upgrades could serve as a catalyst for broader redevelopment in the surrounding area, particularly near the heavily trafficked intersection of Drew Street and U.S. 19. Local officials see the project not just as a ballpark renovation, but as a potential anchor for future growth.
Renderings of potential upgrades to BayCare Ballpark. (Tampa Bay Business and Wealth)
The Phillies have also invested significantly in the facility over the years, covering approximately 60% of maintenance costs and contributing nearly $50 million toward incremental upgrades. But the proposed overhaul represents a far more comprehensive reimagining — one designed to align with the franchise’s long-term vision.
That vision extends beyond Florida. Back home, team ownership has begun early planning on a separate, large-scale renovation of Citizens Bank Park, with estimates reaching as high as $600 million.
Like BayCare Ballpark, Citizens Bank Park opened in 2004, and the organization appears intent on modernizing both ends of its baseball operation.
For Clearwater, though, the stakes are a bit more immediate. The current use agreement between the city, county, and team is set to expire in 2027, adding a little bit of urgency to the negotiations.
If a deal is finalized, it would not only secure the Phillies’ presence for another two decades but also position Clearwater to remain as a long-term cornerstone of the franchise’s identity — a place where generations of players and fans alike continue to gather long before Opening Day ever arrives.
