Miami (AFP) – The Tampa Bay Rays will not be able to return to their hurricane-damaged home ballpark until the start of the 2026 season, and that would require $55.7 million in repairs, an assessment said Tuesday. A damage assessment report sent to the St. Petersburg City Council on Tuesday indicated that $23.6 million will be needed to repair the translucent fiberglass roof at Tropicana Field, which was destroyed by Hurricane Milton last month, WTSP-TV and the Tampa Bay Times reported.
While the Rays struggle to decide whether they will play the 2025 Major League Baseball campaign, city officials must determine if they want to spend the money on the stadium, given that the Rays are set to build a new $1.3 billion ballpark to open in 2028. The stadium, which opened in 1990, was declared structurally sound after the storm pounded it on October 9, but assessors suggested the city cover it with a temporary roof and temperature control to avoid further damage.
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The earliest repairs could be completed would be for the late March start of the 2026 MLB season, according to a timetable in the report. The council will discuss the matter at a meeting next week. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has said he would prefer the Rays remain in the Tampa Bay area for the 2025 season rather than move to larger but more distant venues, such as the Miami Marlins’ enclosed ballpark.
Multiple smaller stadiums in the area are used by MLB clubs for pre-season training, including in Tampa, Clearwater, Dunedin, Lakeland, and Sarasota. The Rays’ own spring training venue is in Port Charlotte, just over a one-hour drive south of St. Petersburg.
© 2024 AFP
