Trop can be fixed for Rays’ 2026 season for $56 million

ST. PETERSBURG — Tropicana Field can be repaired in time for the Rays’ 2026 season for about $55.7 million, according to the damage assessment report sent Tuesday to St. Petersburg City Council members.

The report, which does not include all items to be repaired, estimates that Hurricane Milton caused $39 million in damage and an additional $16 million in costs such as design, permitting, insurance, inspection, staffing and construction contingencies.

The most costly item to replace will be the roof, which accounts for about $23.6 million of the bill.

The big question is whether the city will want to spend that much for what could be just two seasons of use, given plans for a stadium to be built and open in 2028. There’s also the issue of the $22 million deductible and how much of the $55 million will be covered by insurance as well as reimbursements from FEMA.

St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said the report was good news and raised the possibility of the Rays playing three seasons in a repaired Trop, with the new stadium being delayed a year. According to the original 1995 agreement with the team, the pact is “suspended” if the dome is not suitable for playing home games and shall be extended by one season.

“My initial reaction is that it did fall on the lower-cost side, and the fact that our folks think it could be done quickly is really a best-case scenario for us,” Welch told the Tampa Bay Times.

“It’s an obligation of the city under the existing agreement (to provide a facility). And to me it certainly would answer the question of where the Rays would play in ‘26 through ‘28, if we have to extend that. I think it’s best for all if the Rays are back home for the remainder of the existing agreement.”

The Rays, team president Matt Silverman said, will “continue to have discussions with the city about how to move forward.”

The decision to move ahead with the repairs rests with the City Council.

Welch made clear in a statement later Tuesday that he wants to proceed, saying in part:

“The City plans to meet its obligations to ensure that the Rays can play in St. Pete, and the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District and the construction of a new stadium move forward. As such, the City is implementing repairs to Tropicana Field with the hope that it will be ready for play for the 2026 season. We anticipate that the majority of the repair costs incurred by the City will be covered by insurance and FEMA reimbursements, making this approach both beneficial for community spirit and fiscally responsible for our community.”

City Council member Copley Gerdes, who supported the new stadium, agreed.

“It’s our responsibility to make it playable again,” he said. “The sooner we can get the Trop looking like the Trop, I think our community and our visitors are going to feel like we’re on the road to recovery.”

City Council member Richie Floyd noted that there are still many unknown variables, including the uncertain future of the $1.3 billion stadium to be built adjacent to Tropicana Field as a key part of the redevelopment of the Historic Gas Plant District.

Newly elected members of the Pinellas County Commission have expressed reservations about approving the necessary bonds, which could kill the deal. A vote is scheduled for Tuesday but could be delayed.

“This is a lot of money to have a stadium for two seasons depending on what happens with the county and the deal,” said Floyd, who voted no on the new stadium deal.

Since shortly after the storm hit on Oct. 9, the Rays have been looking for an interim home for at least the start of the 2025 season. Based on the report, they would need one for the full season.

The timeline to repair the Trop for 2026 seems tight, with less than 13 months from the start of construction until “final completion” the week before a late March 2026 season opener. (The Rays could ask Major League Baseball to have them open the season on the road to buy an extra week or two.)

Groundbreaking for the new stadium was scheduled for January. Delaying it a year would allow for resources to be devoted to repairing the Trop and also prevent the projects from being worked on side by side. The city, not the Rays, would be on the hook for the repairs since the city owns the stadium.

The estimates are part of a 412-page “Facility Damage Assessment and Remediation Recommendation Report” prepared for the city by Hennessy Construction Services.

As part of the summary, the report states: “Overall, the stadium appears structurally sound and would be a viable candidate to continue to serve the City (should they so decide) in providing continued service following hurricane damage repairs.”

Some of the assessments, such as of the electrical system, were made by a visual inspection and will require component testing for a final determination of damage and repair costs to the 34-year-old stadium, so the total price could be higher, potentially substantially.

Also, City Development Administrator James Corbett wrote in a cover letter that the assessment “does not include the cost estimate for replacing the acoustical roof membrane, which was part of the original stadium’s design to enhance sound quality during events,” and will be added later.

The $55.7 million figure includes about $6.5 million the City Council approved on Oct. 31 to remove the remnants of the roof and damaged turf, and to protect against further damage by waterproofing areas of the stadium that became exposed, work that has already started. The stadium was built as an indoor facility with no drainage system.

The city is the landlord and responsible for repairs to the stadium, and already has filed an insurance claim. The city policy includes a $22 million deductible and $25 million of coverage — reduced in March from $100 million so the city could save $275,000 in premium payments.

The Oct. 9 hurricane shredded the stadium roof, which was made of 6 acres of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass, supported by cables connected by struts and built to withstand winds of up to 115 mph, according to the team. The storm also exposed parts of the stadium to heavy rains.

As they address myriad storm-related issues, the Rays also are looking for at least an interim home. Team employees recently moved into leased space in an office building near the Trop, and officials are working with Major League Baseball to secure a place to play.

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said he would prefer the interim home be in the Tampa Bay area. That most likely would be one of the spring training/minor-league stadiums, with Clearwater’s BayCare Ballpark (used by the Phillies and Class A Threshers) and Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field (Yankees and Tarpons) the most workable. Knowing how long they would be displaced is a key factor in the decision-making process.

Times sports columnist John Romano contributed to this report.

• • •

Sign up for the Sports Today newsletter to get daily updates on the Bucs, Rays, Lightning and college football across Florida.

Never miss out on the latest with your favorite Tampa Bay sports teams. Follow our coverage on Instagram, X and Facebook.