ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A new report has estimated that Tropicana Field will cost a whopping $55 million to repair for the Rays' 2026 season.
The report stated that the preliminary estimate is based on AECOM Hunt’s and Hennessy Construction’s field assessments of existing conditions between Oct. 21 and Nov. 8, along with supporting reports provided by vendors.
On Oct. 21, the St. Petersburg City Council approved a plan to repair the Trop, passing 6-2 during a council meeting. But it would prove to be costlier than initially expected.
Back in March, the city council passed a resolution changing the insurance coverage of the ballpark, which lowered the maximum amount of money an insurance company would pay for a claim from $100 million to $25 million for wind and flood damage.
Then, in early October, Hurricane Milton's high winds ripped off the roof of the St. Petersburg stadium. At the time, the field served as a staging area for hundreds of Florida National Guardsmen and electrical workers before the storm.
Mayor Kenneth T. Welch released the following statement:
"The City continues to review the comprehensive damage assessment and remediation recommendation report received from Hennessy Construction in response to storm damage at Tropicana Field. We believe having our hometown team play in St. Petersburg as soon as possible is important for our community. 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."
The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since their inaugural 1998 season, but the building itself was constructed in 1990. The damage from Milton came a few months after the city and Pinellas County approved a new $1.3 billion ballpark in the Historic Gas Plant District that would open in the 2028 season.
Back-to-back storm events brought record storm surge, rainfall and winds to the Tampa Bay region. The question some are asking now isn’t where people should rebuild, but where we should let nature regain control.
