Tropicana Field roof repairs could be done by Rays' 2026 season; MLB team will need temporary home for 2025

Parts of the roof of Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., were torn off after Hurricane Milton made landfall. (Credit: X /Bill Carl Johnson)

Hurricane Milton devastated parts of Florida in October. Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays for 26 seasons, was damaged as the storm made landfall.

While the structural integrity of the domed baseball stadium does not appear to have been compromised, its roof will have to be replaced, according to an assessment report. 

The report was sent to members of the St. Petersburg City Council Tuesday and provided a potential timeline and budget for repairs. Tropicana Field is not located within Tampa's city limits. It is owned by the neighboring City of St. Petersburg.

According to the damage assessment report, repairs will cost an estimated $55.7 million and could be completed prior to the start of the Rays' 2026 regular season.

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The damaged roof of Tropicana Field the morning after Hurricane Milton hit the region Oct. 10, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Fla.  (AP Photo/Mike Carlson)

The report did not list all items to be repaired, but it calculated that Hurricane Milton caused approximately $39 million in damage. It also factored in an additional $16 million in costs for design, permitting, insurance, inspections, staffing and construction contingencies.

Eighteen of the ballpark’s 24 fabric panels failed Oct. 9, the report found. There was also damage to interior portions of the stadium due to rainwater and other storm-related causes. The ballpark opened in 1990 and has been the Rays’ home since they entered the league in 1998.

MLB WANTS RAYS TO PLAY HOME GAMES IN TAMPA BAY AREA EVEN IF TROPICANA FIELD ISN'T REPAIRED IN TIME

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