Hours after the St. Petersburg City Council approved spending $23.7 million to repair Tropicana Field after it was damaged during Hurricane Milton, the council reversed its decision in a second vote.
The change of course came after the council voted to “delay consideration of revenue bonds for a proposed new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark,” according to the Associated Press.
There was hope from the city that a new roof and additional repairs would allow the Rays to return to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season. The team has an obligation, should the stadium get fixed, to play there for three more seasons.
The main damage to Tropicana Field was to the fabric roof panels, which were essentially ripped off when the storm made landfall. Eighteen of the 24 panels failed due to Hurricane Milton’s high winds, and the failure of the roof allowed rain and wind to cause more damage inside the stadium.
Team president Brian Auld told reporters after the initial vote that the team isn’t sure planned repairs would be done on time. That would be a headache for the Rays as a contingency plan would need to be in place for another home location, requiring more funds.
“Our certainty is actually greater if the decision is made not to repair Tropicana Field, because I don’t believe we’re going to have a firm answer on whether it can be done for a very long time,” Auld said. “Based on the conversations we’ve had with our engineers, I believe we’re looking at a ‘26 situation where the city is trying to have the stadium ready, and we have to make alternative plans, and all the costs that come with that, that is actually more problematic for us. That’s why we’ve been working on trying to get to a settlement.”
The Rays have already announced that any repairs would not be finished in time before the start of the 2025 MLB season and they will play home games at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field, the minor league complex and spring training home of the New York Yankees.
As all parties involved continue the work, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is open to giving everyone involved enough time to figure out a solution.
“We’re committed to the fans in Tampa Bay,” Manfred said at the recent owners meeting. “Given all that’s happened in that market, we’re focused on our franchise in Tampa Bay right now.”
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