It’s unclear when or if there will be fans in Raymond James Stadium this fall.
There will at least be a pile of their tax dollars.
According to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Raymond James Stadium is getting $10.4 million in federal money under under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act for COVID-19-related safety upgrades.
The CARES Act money will go toward modifications to the stadium such as touch-free toilets and sinks, hand-sanitizing stations, and removable seat bottoms to create social distancing. The final approval will come from the Hillsborough County Commission in a Wednesday vote.
The improvements are scheduled for three phases, the first of which is set to be completed by Oct. 31 “in order to be open to the public.”
After that, further projects include a public address system to make safety announcements in the parking lots and tell fans when they can enter the stadium, as well as touchscreen ticket scanners, and modifications to suites and the press box to allow for social distancing.
The Bucs are set to open the regular season on Sept. 20, but there’s a more important date on the stadium’s calendar, as they’re hosting Super Bowl 55 on Feb. 7, 2021.
So far, the Bucs haven’t announced plans for how many fans will be allowed in, if any. The Jaguars have said they’ll play at 25 percent capacity.
