St. Pete approves $16M more in funds for Tropicana Field repairs

The Tampa Bay Rays might not call it home much longer, but the city of St. Petersburg is still contractually on the hook for ensuring Tropicana Field is restored to a “playable” condition.

That’s why City Council agreed Thursday to spend nearly $16 million more on repairs to the beleaguered stadium, which saw its roof ripped away last October during Hurricane Milton.

The city initially set aside $55.7 million for repairing the stadium, but the additional money set aside Thursday brings the actual cost closer to $59.7 million.

City Council members expressed frustrations over the ballooning costs despite the Rays uncertain future in St. Petersburg. The new funding passed seven to one, with Councilman Corey Givens Jr. as the lone “no” vote.

“Our homes were damaged in the hurricanes, we didn’t have the money to spend to get things fixed, and like many of my constituents - you know what they did? They didn’t go with the first bid,” Givens said. “That’s why I’m voting for other economical options.This is being rushed."

The city is hoping to receive reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and its insurance policy on the Trop. When Givens asked City Attorney Jackie Kovilaritch if FEMA reimbursement money is guaranteed, she simply answered “no.”

Council members agreed to spend $1.3 million on replacing the turf inside the dome and $14.4 million on additional architectural, mechanical, electrical, plumbing, equipment and audio-visual repairs unrelated to the roof. 

The Tampa Bay Rays replaced the stadium’s artificial turf in March 2024, but ever since Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off the stadium last October, the field has sat sodden and exposed to the elements. The city plans to hire the same company, Turf Solutions, to replace the turf and infield material “without the need to create new specifications or provide additional design or engineering services,” the City Council agenda item said. 

Repairs to the field and interior of the Trop won’t begin until its iconic dome roof is replaced, likely in December at a cost of $22.5 million. The entire project is expected to be completed by April 2026. 

City Architect Raul Quintana said he expects the first few panels of roofing material to arrive in the next week or so, and that the repairs have so far remained on schedule. 

In June, City Council agreed to pay $2.35 million to repair or replace storm-damaged wall panels, and in July approved another $5.26 million to repair the lighting system and catwalk.

Still more money will have to be approved at a later date for video production repairs. Quintana said workers are also still evaluating whether seating in the stadium should be repaired or replaced. He told the City Council he expects to have a proposal for all remaining repairs ready for their approval in September. 

The Rays are currently playing the 2025 season in Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field. They are expected to return to the Trop by the time the 2026 season begins in March. 

Council members lamented having to allocate more money out of the city’s Disaster Short-Term Financing Fund toward repairing Tropicana field when the Rays are only contractually obligated to play there until the end of the 2028 MLB season. However, according to the city’s 30-year use agreement with the team, it is required to keep the stadium in suitable playing condition. 

Even though repairs are well underway, the Rays future at Tropicana Field remains uncertain. 

In July, a group led by Jacksonville developer Patrick Zalupski reportedly struck a deal with Rays owner Stu Sternberg to pay $1.7 billion for the team’s ownership. That deal won’t be finalized, however, until it receives 75% approval from Major League Baseball team owners.

Zalupski has plans to keep the Rays in the Tampa Bay region but has expressed a strong desire to move from St. Petersburg to Tampa. City Council officially canceled its stadium deal with the Rays and development partner Hines in a vote last month.