St. Petersburg officials say that Tropicana Field repairs will be completed by Opening Day on April 6, 2026, more than a year after Hurricane Milton severely damaged the stadium.
City leaders conducted a final media walkthrough of the facility on Friday, marking a significant milestone in the stadium’s recovery.
Hurricane Milton tore through the stadium’s roof in October 2024, allowing rain to pour inside and necessitating extensive repairs throughout the facility. The damage was concentrated in the field, bowl area, locker rooms, and batting tunnels, which experienced significant water damage.
The repair effort involved up to 350 workers at its peak, with approximately 225 people currently on site each day, according to Beth Herendeen, the city’s managing director of development administration.
The centerpiece of the project was replacing the roof. The new roof material, a Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric known as PTFE, was designed by a French company, manufactured in Germany, cut into 24 panels in China, and shipped to St. Petersburg. Each panel weighs approximately 5,000 pounds.
City officials stated the new roof can withstand wind speeds between 150 and 165 miles per hour, considerably stronger than the previous roof.
The project encountered some delays, including disruptions from Russian earthquakes affecting volcanic activity and a Dallas ice storm that delayed locker delivery, but contingency planning kept the work on schedule.
Repairs included installing new turf over more than 137,000 square feet, 450 tons of infield clay, new sound and audio systems, lighting, baseball netting, and renovated clubhouses with new lockers and carpeting.
The City Council approved nearly $60 million for the project. The city expects to receive $16.5 million from FEMA, $11 million from insurance, and nearly $3 million from the state.
During the 2025 season, the Tampa Bay Rays played at Tampa’s George Steinbrenner Field while repairs were underway.
The Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field expires after the 2028 season. The team has proposed a $2.3 billion, mixed-use development at Hillsborough Community College’s campus in Tampa as a long-term replacement.
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