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 board voted to “postpone consideration of revenue bonds for the proposed $1.3 billion new Rays ballpark,” according to the Associated Press.
The city had hoped that the new roof and additional repairs would allow the Rays to return to Tropicana Field for the 2026 season. The team is obligated to play there for three more seasons if the stadium is repaired.
The main damage to Tropicana Field was to the fabric roof panels, which were essentially ripped off as the storm made landfall. Eighteen of the 24 panels failed due to the strong winds of Hurricane Milton, and the roof failure allowed the rain and wind to cause more damage to the stadium.
Team president Brian Auld told reporters after the initial vote that the team was unsure whether the planned repairs would be completed in time. It would be a headache for the Rays because a contingency plan for another home site would have to be put in place, which would require more funding.
“Our confidence is actually greater if he decides not to fix the Tropicana field because I don’t believe we’ll have a firm answer as to 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 get 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 worked to reach an agreement.”
The Rays have already announced that any repairs will not be completed in time for the start of the 2025 MLB season and will play home games at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, a minor league complex and home to the New York Yankees’ spring training.
As all parties involved continue to work, MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred is open to giving everyone involved enough time to find a solution.
“We are committed to the fans in Tampa Bay,” Manfred said at a recent owners meeting. “With everything that’s happened in this market, our focus right now is on our franchise in Tampa Bay.”