St. Pete approves $22.5 million to repair Tropicana Field roof
/sunlight floods into the dormant stadium | st. pete rising
The City of St. Petersburg is proceeding with major repairs to Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton's powerful winds tore apart the stadium's fabric roof and caused extensive damage to the home of the Tampa Bay Rays in October 2024.
During Thursday's St. Petersburg City Council meeting, members approved two resolutions for a $22.54 million Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) proposal with joint venture partners Hennessy Construction Services and AECOM Hunt—experts in stadium repairs—for the fabrication, delivery, and installation of a new roof for Tropicana Field.
Councilmember Richie Floyd was the sole opposing vote on the resolutions.
The city has covered the stadium seating with tarps and other weather-proofing materials | st. pete rising
City officials are hoping to have Tropicana Field ready for baseball in time for the 2026 season. In the meantime, due to the extent of the damage to the Trop, the Tampa Bay Rays will play their 2025 season at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.
With the approval, the new roof material will be fabricated in Germany, assembled in China, and delivered to St. Petersburg via air freight, according to City Architect Raul Quintana.
Quintana also noted that the GMP includes a $100,000 allowance for potential tariffs.
The vacant concession and retail areas inside the stadium now filled with construction supplies | st. pete rising
The city expects to receive four separate bundles of PTFE, a polytetrafluoroethylene Teflon-coated roofing material.
Unlike the previous roof installed decades ago, the new material is thicker and designed to withstand hurricane winds of up to 165 miles per hour, according to Quintana.
Prep work is set to begin in June in anticipation of the first bundle arriving in late August. Two mobile cranes will be onsite to hoist the materials.
Quintana estimated the roof replacement will take approximately 10 months, with completion expected by December.
A view of the tarps installed along the exposed halls | st. pete rising
The new roof will not include an acoustic layer, which may worsen sound quality, noted Quintana. To address this, new sound system technology will be implemented.
The city is legally required under the current use agreement to ensure the stadium is playable for the Rays. While replacing the roof is the top priority, other essential components—including the baseball field and audiovisual systems—must be installed by spring and meet the standards of both MLB and the Rays.
A previous assessment by Hennessy Construction Services estimated that total repairs for Tropicana Field will exceed $55 million.
"It's a very complex project, but we feel we are in a good place," Quintana said.
The exposed metal beams and panels of the roof | st. pete rising
The key vote comes just weeks after the Rays abandoned plans to build a new $1.37 billion stadium in downtown St. Petersburg—and three days after the deadline for the team to submit an official termination letter, which the city never received.
The vote also followed a media tour inside the vacant Tropicana Field, led by Quintana and Special Projects Manager Beth Herendeen.
During the tour, Herendeen noted that the roof replacement GMP package is just one of several that will come before the City Council in the coming months.
“I would say 90% to 95% of the onion has been peeled,” she said, referring to the ongoing damage assessment at the stadium.
The city anticipates four additional GMP packages, which will cover:
Metal panels for the interior and exterior facade
Sports lighting and electrical redirection
Audio and visual lighting upgrades
Architectural improvements, including drywall replacement, flooring, dugout refinishing, new field turf, repairs to lower-level locker rooms, and new field netting (although the netting itself was not damaged)
Herendeen said the City Council will likely review the additional packages this summer, though the package for metal panels may be considered separately.
Signage and banners still remain encircling the bowl | st. pete rising
Additionally, the city will issue construction bid packages for necessary work outside the stadium bowl.
City staff also informed council members that BMS Cat, a Tampa-based water damage restoration company, along with other environmental contractors, visits Tropicana Field regularly to test air quality and assess water-related damage.
The city hopes to secure FEMA funds to reimburse a portion of the renovation costs.
Under the current use agreement with the Rays, the lease extends for each year that Tropicana Field remains unplayable. Originally set to expire in 2027, the agreement will now extend through 2028.
The Rays have stated they plan to return to Tropicana Field in 2026. However, if the team unexpectedly decides not to return, the city could explore legal options, including a potential settlement.
The stadium must be playable by 2026 | st. pete rising
