PINELLAS COUNTY, vla — St. Pete city leaders are set to discuss repairing the roof at Tropicana Field. During Hurricane Milton, winds ripped parts of the fabric roof off.
St. Pete City leaders will vote on technicalities, such as cost, contracting, and repair plans, that must be completed before construction can start.
This is a completely separate issue from the Rays stadium deal.
The city said they need to replace the roof and fix up other areas in the stadium that were damaged during the storm, including removing drywall, fixing portions of the suites, and addressing other areas with damage.
Construction will not be finished in time for the 2025 season. The Rays will play at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. If all goes according to plan, the Trop will welcome the Rays back to play in 2026.
As for how much this will cost, it will be around 1.8 million dollars. Right now, the City Council agenda shows the money will come from the City's pro sports facility fund and the general fund. The city said they are also pursuing insurance money and FEMA funding.
County Commissioners are set to discuss issuing bonds to fund the new stadium project at their meeting on December 17th.
A state report says hundreds of frail elderly nursing home residents were stacked side by side, head to toe in a small church with no working air conditioning or refrigerator during Hurricane Helene.
