AECOM Hunt-Turner-HORUS JV ranked first for $2.3B Tampa Bay Rays stadium CMAR role

A selection committee in Tampa, Florida ranked a joint venture of AECOM Hunt, Turner Construction, and HORUS Construction Services as the top-ranked construction manager at risk for the Tampa Bay Rays' proposed $2.3 billion stadium, according to a posting on the franchise's stadium RFQ page on 18 August 2026.^[1]

How the selection worked

AECOM Hunt and Turner were chosen from four bids answering the team's request for qualifications. A committee met at Hillsborough College on Monday to publicly review the applications before announcing a decision. The committee was made up of representatives from the Tampa Bay Rays, the City of Tampa, and Hillsborough County.

The selection committee evaluated each firm using a weighted point system worth up to 100 points total. Firm qualifications and prior experience on similar projects were worth up to 40 points. Project approach was worth up to 30 points. They scored four competing firms across four categories before unanimously voting to accept the final rankings and move forward with the AECOM Hunt-Turner-HORUS JV as the top-ranked firm.

The choice opens negotiations with AECOM Hunt, which would join Populous and the rest of the design team during preconstruction before the parties establish a guaranteed maximum price for construction.

The financing hurdle

The contractor selection does not lock in the deal. The selection hinges on the city of Tampa and the Hillsborough County Commission's approval of a financing plan over the forthcoming weeks. The Rays put out the contractor request before a final agreement on nearly $1 billion in public financing was approved by the Tampa City Council and Hillsborough County Commission. The Rays have committed to spending more than $1.2 billion on stadium construction.

The selection comes as Tampa officials still negotiate how the city would provide and recover as much as $80 million for the project. Definitive agreements remain unfinished, meaning the Rays are assembling the team needed to start construction while the public financing required to support the project remains unresolved.

The tentative agreement details financing for the $2.3 billion indoor stadium, which would be the anchor of a mixed-use district on land now used by Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus. The Rays have said they plan to invest at least $8 billion in the surrounding development.

A compressed schedule and a complex site

The Rays are targeting substantial completion by 31 December 2028, followed by final completion by 1 March 2029.^[1] That was necessary because of the team's aggressive construction timeline, which requires the stadium to open by March 2029. To make that deadline, work needs to begin by next month.

The procurement documents call for construction to begin on portions of the stadium before the full set of construction documents is finished. Structural design is already the critical path. Foundations, the seating bowl, roof, and enclosure are expected to move through fast-track packages, with steel, concrete, foundation, and precast contractors brought into the design process early.

Five Hillsborough College buildings within the planned ballpark footprint would have to be demolished, including their foundations. Once complete, the stadium will be able to seat 31,000 people and will be able to host other events, including concerts and other sports.

What the JV brings

In addition to its experience in building professional stadiums, AECOM Hunt has an extensive track record with the Rays and the region. That includes building Tropicana Field and replacing the St. Petersburg ballpark's roof after it was destroyed by Hurricane Milton. AECOM Hunt's stadium portfolio also includes Raymond James Stadium and Benchmark International Arena in Tampa, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Citi Field in New York, and Hard Rock Stadium's shade addition in Miami. The firm is nearing completion of the Tennessee Titans' new stadium in Nashville.

HORUS Construction Services is a 100% African-American owned commercial general contracting company founded in 2001 and based in Tampa, and is one of the largest minority-owned companies in the Tampa-St. Petersburg area. HORUS has previously teamed with Turner Construction on projects including Tampa International Airport Airside E ($130 million) and Raymond James Stadium ($200 million).

Background: a long road to Tampa

The Rays' stadium saga stretches back years. Hurricane Milton's timing threw a major curveball at stadium plans. Due to delays in funding approval because of storm damage in the surrounding area, the Rays backed out of a deal to build a new stadium in March 2025. That earlier proposal - a $1.3 billion scheme in neighboring Pinellas County - collapsed over financing delays.^[1]

The franchise now plans to plant its flag in a 130-acre development in Tampa's Westshore District and Hillsborough College's Dale Mabry campus. The team revealed renderings of the new stadium on 2 March 2026 and issued an RFQ for a CMAR contractor on 29 June 2026.

The next milestone is formal approval of the financing package by Tampa City Council and the Hillsborough County Commission. Until binding agreements are signed, the JV's selection remains conditional - and the September construction start the Rays need to hit their 2029 opening day remains contingent on those votes.^[1]