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The Tampa Bay Rays will need a new stadium to play in for the 2025 season.
Tropicana Field, which has served as the home of the Rays for almost 30 years, can be repaired in time for the 2026 campaign, per the Tampa Bay Times. In the meantime, the team will need to look for an interim stadium for next season.
Damages and Costs
Tropicana Field was extensively damaged due to Hurricane Milton, which first made landfall in Sarasota County on Oct. 9.
The damage assessment report provided to the St. Petersburg City Council estimates that the total cost of repairs for the stadium will be $55.72 million. $23.6 million is allocated to repair the roof, which took the brunt of the damage.
Now that the sun is up, here’s a 360-degree view of the damage Hurricane Milton caused to Tropicana Field’s roof and the inside of the ballpark. Absolutely heartbreaking pic.twitter.com/ZCtPHv6rE9
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 10, 2024
The city would rely on insurance and FEMA reimbursements to cover most of the costs.
Upcoming Decisions
Earlier this year, Pinellas County commissioners approved funding for a new ballpark in the St. Petersburg area, part of a larger plan to revitalize the downtown area. The Rays hoped to have it ready for use by Opening Day in 2028.
However, the damage to Tropicana Field has put the City Council in a difficult predicament. Funding for the new stadium project was already tight. It now remains unclear if the city will want to spend more money to repair a ballpark that will see only three more seasons of use, at most.
St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch supported going forward with the plan, but the City Council still must approve the spending.
As for 2025, the Rays hope to use a stadium in the Tampa Bay area, per the Times. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa and BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater are the two current frontrunners. Both facilities are used by the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies during spring training, respectively.
