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The post-Hurricane Milton financial fallout is still in progress in affected parts of Florida, including St. Petersburg, where Tropicana Field’s dome roof was shredded by the storm the evening of Oct. 9–10. The city owns Tropicana Field.
The damage analysis, received by the city the first week in November, came in at $55.7 million, with the repair to the Teflon-coated fiberglass roof the largest portion, at $23.6 million. The report notes that the building is structurally sound and estimates that installation of a new tensioned membrane over the existing roof structure could be completed by March 2026 for the opening of the baseball season, on a 13-month timeline. The initial post-hurricane weatherproofing and cleanup, at $6.5 million, was approved by the city council Oct. 31, just to prevent further damage to the structure and was considered part of the building’s insurance deductible.
At the city council’s meeting Nov. 21, the entity first voted to go forward with the Trop’s roof repairs but then reversed itself following a recess.
One complication to the repair is the insurance on the Trop. In March 2024, the city had lowered the coverage on it from $100 million to $25 million to save on premiums. However, it’s possible that FEMA funding could cover some of the repairs. The insurance claim, local and FEMA funding, and final damage analysis and repair estimates were still in process as this issue of Specialty Fabrics Review was going to press.
For 2025, the Tampa Bay Rays ballclub will play in George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., relocating the Minor League Tarpons, a Yankees affiliate. However, the majority of the Rays’ summer will be spent on the road because that field is open-air.
The Trop opened in 1990 and is the only home field the Rays have played on since their inaugural regular-season game in 1998. The team may only be playing in the ballpark a few more years, as there are plans for a new ballpark in progress, to be built adjacent to the Trop.
It’s not the first time the Rays have had to be mobile because of hurricane damage. For Spring Training 2023 the team moved to Orlando because of Hurricane Ian’s effects on the Charlotte Sports Park complex in Port Charlotte in 2022.
Information compiled from local and nationwide reporting.