City documents reveal that repair costs for Tropicana Field are exceeding initial estimates.

On Thursday, St. Petersburg City Council members will consider approving a cost adjustment of approximately $55,000 for the field’s roof demolition services.

According to a change order form from Global Rope Access—a construction firm specializing in unique repair projects—the increase is due to weather delays and extended removal time.

This adjustment follows the original emergency authorization of $416,353 needed to remove the damaged roof fabric.

The council will also review a nearly $900,000 pre-construction work approval for Hennessy/AECOM Hunt on Thursday.

St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch and City Council members will be briefed on the proposed construction timeline.

Currently in the roof replacement pre-construction phase, the city’s timeline indicates that between April and August, contractor teams will order, prepare, and deliver the new roof fabric. Installation is projected for August through November.

Additional repairs will occur from July to February 2026, with new turf installation scheduled for December this year.

The Tampa Bay Rays are contracted to play at Tropicana Field through 2027.

During his State of the City address earlier this week, Mayor Welch acknowledged for the first time that the stadium deal with the Rays could be at risk. He assured the community that the city has a contingency plan in place.

“You really hate to have to go back to square one,” he told reporters after his speech. “But if that’s the case, the most important thing to me is retaining that land, not the previous development rights the Rays would have had through 2027.”

Welch added that if the Rays don’t move forward, the land will revert to the city, offering new options for development.

The Rays have until the end of March to meet their obligations, at which point the city expects to have more clarity on the deal, Welch said.

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(Image credit: AP Photo/Mike Carlson)