TAMPA, Fla (WFLA) — The new owners of the Tampa Bay Rays said their highest priority is building a stadium for the team. During their first-ever press conference, they said they want the team in Tampa Bay, but didn’t say where exactly.

Patrick Zalupski said he wants to bring something like Atlanta’s Battery to Tampa Bay. With retail, hotels, bars, restaurants, and a concert venue.

“We think the Battery is the Gold standard of what we want to build and develop here in Tampa Bay,” said Zalupski. “It is what you have to have in today’s major league baseball to be successful. Without that revenue generation, it’s going to be reall,y really challenging or nearly impossible to compete with the major markets.”

The question is, where will it go? To the city that had a deal signed, but the team’s former owners walked away from?

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch wants conversations with the new owners and hopes they recognize the history in St. Pete.

“I want to understand their criteria. The 100 acres is something new, would seem to rule out a historic gas plant, but we have other options that we’re looking at right now,” said Welch.

The new owners said they recognize the fatigue in the area. Economic development experts said they should work to remove any obstacles.

“We have a track record to look at with with the experience in St Petersburg and the relationships they’ve had in Pinellas County. You know, you have to think this is an opportunity to get closer to the majority of the fan base and to really start fresh,” said John Boyd, an economic development expert.

According to the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the chair of the Hillsborough Community College Board of Trustees said they have had initial discussions with the team regarding its North Dale Mabry Campus as a potential stadium site. The chair also says there has been no formal proposal for the property.

Coming on this side of the Bay could see its challenges as well.

“Knowing that in the City of Tampa, we only have 4% of land usable is something that says to me that we’re either looking at acquisition of buildings that already exist or possibly looking at not being in the city, which would be a disappointment,” said Tampa City Council Member Lynn Hurktak. “We just finished our budget and there was a lot of stuff we wanted to do that we couldn’t because we didn’t have the money for it. So I think that’s a big part of the conversation.”

Zalupski said they are looking at a few spots with the goal of 100-plus acres and to have the team playing there in 2029.

“We want a great location and as much land as we can get,” said Zalupski.

Zalupski admitted to the ambitious nature of the project but said he is confident it can be done.

Boyd said if the owners can settle on a site, get the approvals and funding needed by the end of the year, he thinks they could do it.

“I think so. And winning cities and winning counties move with the speed of business,” said Boyd. “The Rays’ valuation remains largely stagnant. You look at teams that have really skyrocketed in valuation because of these new revenue streams, and that is what a new stadium, a new mixed-use stadium, will bring to this new Rays ownership.”