(The Center Square) – Steinbrenner Field is reportedly the 2025 home of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays, with government decisions looming on 2026 and ’27 before a new park opens in 2028.
The Tampa Bay Times, formerly the St. Petersburg Times, on Thursday broke news of the American League East ball club headed for the spring training home of the division rival New York Yankees. Tropicana Field, domed multi-purpose stadium home of the Rays since the team’s 1998 inception, lost its roofing during Hurricane Milton in October.
The St. Petersburg City Council will take up the issue at its Nov. 21 meeting on whether to replace the roof for two seasons before a new stadium is scheduled is to open.
The council voted Oct. 31 to spend $6.5 million for cleanup efforts.
A report released by the city of St. Petersburg and written by Hennessy Construction Services says stadium repairs could cost $55 million, with $26.3 million needed in just the roof replacement alone.
The repair cost will likely be shouldered by insurance and FEMA funds, according to a statement released by St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch.
Eighteen of the 24 panels on the roof were blown away by the winds of Category 3 Hurricane Milton, which made landfall near Siesta Key on Oct. 9.
The roof will be replaced with a different material than the original and it will have a lifespan of less than five years. Tropicana Field is scheduled for demolition once the new stadium is opened.
According to the report, “the primary structure is serviceable and capable of supporting a replacement tension membrane fabric roof.”
The new $1.2 billion stadium with $600 million from taxpayers is scheduled to open in 2028 and will anchor a $6.5 billion development in the 86-acre Historic Gas Plant District in St. Petersburg.
“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,” Welch said in a statement. “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.”