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Tropicana Field roof replacement done early

Swatches | April 1, 2026 | By:

Tropicana Field with its distinctive curved roof, surrounded by green trees and a clear blue sky, visible from a distance.
The last one of the 24 new Tropicana Field roof panels, made of composite fiberglass fabric by Serge Ferrari Group, was put in place in late November 2025, ahead of schedule. Work on the ballpark was expected to be completed in March, with the team’s Home Opener set for April 6. Image: Serge Ferrari/© Kailey Tracy

Hurricane Milton recovery for the Tampa Bay Rays was expected to be complete for the start of baseball season, ahead of the club’s Home Opener April 6. The new Tropicana Field roof panel installation was completed early, in late November 2025, as announced by the City of St. Petersburg, Fla. Work on the inside of the facility could then make substantial strides. Some final stretching and sealing work on the roof panels extended into early December.

The new roof “represents one of Serge Ferrari Group’s most significant U.S. projects to date,” the company said in a release. “The scale of the roof and the tight timeline meant only a handful of suppliers could take on a project like this, and we were one of the few with the production capacity to deliver,” says David Peragallo, Associate AIA, senior specification manager, Serge Ferrari North America.

White dome-shaped roof of Tropicana Field against a clear blue sky, with several workers visible on top and palm trees in the foreground.
Finishing up work on Tropicana Field’s new roof in late 2025. Image: Serge Ferrari/© Kailey Tracy

The 24 new roof panels, made from translucent Tenseo Xtrem GF 7000 high-performance fiberglass composite membrane, were fabricated at Serge Ferrari Group’s facility in Germany. The membrane rolls were shipped to Enclos Tensile Structures, the project’s fabricator, for assembly. Each panel weighed approximately 5,000 pounds. Installation work was handled by AECOM Hunt, alongside Hennessy Construction Services and Geiger Engineers.

Service life is expected to exceed 20 years; plans for the new stadium to be built adjacent to Tropicana Field in 2028 (with Tropicana Field being demolished) have been scrapped. 

Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof in October 2024. Roof repairs were about $22.5 million of the approximately $60 million in fixes needed to be made to the facility. Insurance, FEMA funding and some state funding are fielding part of the cost. The building opened in 1990 and has been the home of the Rays since 1998; the club is still making plans to move to a new building in 2028 or 2029.

Some details compiled from local and national reporting.

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