Stuart Sternberg wants to make a historic neighborhood in Tampa the next home of the Tampa Bay Rays, which wants to shift across the bay from St. Petersburg.

Sternberg said Friday that the Rays will focus their new ballpark search on the east side of the bay at a 14-acre site in Ybor City, just north of Ybor Channel.

It's the first time the team has publicly stated its preference for Tampa over St. Petersburg, its home since the franchise started play in 1998.

A new ballpark likely will cost more than $700 million.