Just hours after voting to finance renovations to the Tampa Bay Rays' home, the St. Petersburg City Council reversed course.
The Rays will now pay their divisional rival, the New York Yankees, $15 million to play their regular season home games at their spring training stadium in New York. That will be the Rays' only solid home base until further notice.
On October 9, the stadium's fiberglass roof was completely torn off when Hurricane Milton made landfall just south of Tampa Bay. Devastating water damage subsequently occurred within the venue, causing an estimated $55.7 million in damage. City documents say major repairs cannot be completed before the 2026 season.
The city would have provided at least some funding and started the process with an initial vote (a 4-3 decision).
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A drone image of the Tropicana Field dome torn apart by Hurricane Milton on October 10, 2024 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Brian R. Smith/AFP via Getty Images)
The first vote Thursday was to begin repairs to the roof section. Once that's complete, crews will begin installing a new baseball field and repairing damaged seating areas, office areas and various electronic systems, but it will take another round of work to approve funding for the remaining repairs. A vote is required.
Members who opposed the move said there wasn't enough clarity on a number of issues, including how much the stadium's insurance would cover and how much money the Federal Emergency Management Agency would provide.
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The withdrawal of the Tropicana Field amendment came after Congress voted to postpone consideration of a revenue bond for the $1.3 billion new Rays stadium project. Just two days ago, the Pinellas County Commission postponed a vote on its share of the new stadium bond, leaving the project in limbo.
“This is a sad place. I'm really disappointed,” said City Council President Deborah Figg-Sanders. “You won't get there if you keep looking for impossible ways.”
The Rays claim the lack of progress puts their new stadium plan and the future of Tropicana Field in jeopardy.
“I can't say I'm confident in anything,” Rays co-president Brian Auld told council members.
A cot at Tropicana Field before Hurricane Milton arrives in St. Petersburg, Florida on October 7, 2024. (Reuters/Octavio Jones)
The reversal means the City and Rays will have to work on alternatives in the coming weeks to ensure Tropicana Field is ready for the 2026 season.
“I'd like to strip it down and see exactly what we're required to do,” said City Councilman John Muhammad.
Several City Council members said before voting on the $23.7 million roof repair bill that the city was contractually obligated to do so.
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“I don't see a way out of this situation. We have a contract,” said City Councilwoman Gina Driscoll. “We have an obligation to do it. We're going to fix the roof.”
The team's new stadium is expected to be completed by the 2028 season if the project moves forward, the team announced Tuesday.
In a letter to the Pinellas County Commission, Rays executives said the team had already spent $50 million on initial construction of its new $1.3 billion stadium, but approved a bond to publicly pay for the cost. He said he could not proceed any further due to delays.
On October 10, 2024, the roof of Tropicana Field, home of Major League Baseball's Tampa Bay Rays, was damaged after Hurricane Milton made landfall in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida. (Reuters/Octavio Jones)
“The Rays organization is saddened and appalled by this unfortunate incident,” the letter, signed by co-presidents Old and Matt Silverman, said. They pointed out that the entire project has been approved in advance by the county commission and the city of St. Petersburg.
Asked if Major League Baseball could survive in the Tampa Bay area long-term, Rays principal owner Stuart Sternberg said the outlook is “not as rosy as it was three weeks ago. I will do everything I can to help.” To keep the Rays here for 20 years, for generations to come. ”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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