This afternoon, the St. Petersburg City Council approved $22.5MM in funding to repair the Tropicana Field roof (link via The Associated Press). That’s less the half the overall estimated $55.7MM necessary to get the Trop back to playable after last fall’s hurricane damage. Other necessary fixes include repairs to the playing surface and lighting. The roof is expected to take 10 months, according to The AP.
“We are pleased to see City Council take this important step toward preparing Tropicana Field for Major League Baseball in time for 2026 Opening Day,” Rays president Brian Auld said in a statement. “We commend in particular city, Rays and MLB staff for their cooperative efforts to get us to this point.”
The City of St. Petersburg owns Tropicana Field, which it leases to the Rays. The city is therefore obligated to cover repair costs. Major League Baseball and the Rays have maintained hope that the field will be ready by Opening Day. They have three years left on their lease. Since the field is not in use this year, the lease is extended by one season. They’re contracted to play at The Trop through 2028, assuming they’re able to return to the stadium next year.
What happens after that is unknown. Colleen Wright of The Tampa Bay Times wrote earlier this week that the project for a new ballpark to be built in St. Petersburg officially died on Tuesday. The Rays had already announced they would not proceed with that plan, citing cost overruns related to delays in the county’s approval of bonds. Unlike the Tropicana Field repairs, the Rays would have been responsible for excess costs on the new stadium. The bonds nevertheless technically remained available until March 31, when the tentative agreement formally lapsed because the Rays had not met necessary construction benchmarks.
The Rays were not permitted to speak with other municipalities until the St. Petersburg deal officially expired. Team president Matt Silverman suggested last month that they could reengage with the City of Tampa and Hillsborough County after March 31. Commissioner Rob Manfred has repeatedly stated that MLB remains committed to finding a solution in the Tampa Bay area. The Rays could not explore relocation without league approval.