Tropicana Field will be fixed.
The St. Petersburg City Council voted Thursday to approve spending $22.5 million to replace the Trop's Teflon-coated roof, which was shredded by Hurricane Milton's 100-plus-mph winds.
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It means the Tampa Bay Rays should be able to return to their domed home for the 2026 season. They're playing this season at Tampa's Steinbrenner Field, the outdoor spring home of the New York Yankees.
The roof is expected to be completed by December. City officials say it will be able to withstand 165 mph winds, stronger than the Category 3 hurricane winds that shredded it in October.
The material will be fabricated in Germany and pieced together in China, so it'll be subject to new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. The city has set aside $100,000 for the tariffs, and at least one council member wondered if that would be enough.
City officials say they will apply to their insurance carrier and FEMA for reimbursement.
The city is required to make the repairs under its 30-year stadium agreement with the team. That agreement now expires in 2028, meaning the Rays are obligated to play in the Trop three more years once it's reopened.
The overall cost of repairs is estimated at more than $55 million, according to the city. After the roof, the work includes fixing the playing surface, ensuring audio and visual electronics are working, installing flooring and drywall, getting concession stands running and other issues.
The city council plans to vote on the additional costs over the next few months.
Council member Brandi Gabbard said it was a tough financial pill to swallow.
"This is our contractual obligation that frankly we all inherited, and so I don't like it any more than anybody else that we're looking at spending $23 million today on just the roof — recognizing that there's going to be other costs that are going to come to us," Gabbard said.
"I'd much rather be spending that money on hurricane recovery and helping residents in our most affected neighborhoods. I think that's no surprise to anyone. It's our contractual obligation to make home games acceptable to (Major League Baseball) and the Rays playable in Tropicana Field, period. That's the reality we're faced with."
Citing mounting costs but without providing details, the Rays last month pulled out of a deal with the city and Pinellas County for a new $1.3 billion ballpark to be built near the Trop. That was part of the $6.5 billion Historic Gas Plant project to bring housing, retail and restaurants, arts and a African American history museum to a once-thriving Black neighborhood razed for the original stadium.
That public-private agreement officially expired Monday.
Thursday's roof vote was 7-1, with Richie Floyd, a longtime opponent of the stadium deal, voting no.
Although the Rays are ready to return to the Trop, it's unclear if they will maintain a long-term commitment to St. Petersburg or look to Tampa or another market for a new stadium. Major League Baseball has said keeping the team in the Tampa Bay region is a priority. Rays ownership has said the team is not for sale.
“We are pleased to see City Council take this important step toward preparing Tropicana Field for Major League Baseball in time for 2026 opening day,” Rays co-president Brian Auld said in a statement. “We commend in particular city, Rays and MLB staff for their cooperative efforts to get us to this point.”
Ron Diner, a member of a group opposed to the stadium deal, spoke of the Trop repairs before the vote was taken.
"It's a bad deal for the city. It's too expensive. We don't know the total cost," Diner said. "We need the money for more important things like the $5 billion for infrastructure. It's too risky. What if a hurricane hits while the roof is being installed? What if a stronger than expected storm comes across in the next year or two?"
