March 18, 2026

Global sailing race will make St. Pete its North American stop in 2027

March 18, 2026/ Veronica Brezina

St. Pete is set to take center stage on the global sailing circuit.

The Ocean Race, widely considered one of the toughest professional sporting events in the world, will make its first-ever Gulf Coast stop in 2027, with downtown St. Petersburg serving as the North American host for a new transatlantic leg of the race.

The announcement is a major win for the area, which will bring an internationally recognized event to the St. Petersburg Yacht Club and the University of South Florida St. Petersburg waterfront.

The 15th edition of The Ocean Race will begin in Alicante, Spain on Sunday, January 17th, 2027, sending a fleet of IMOCA 60-foot sailboats on a 14,000-nautical-mile opening leg to Auckland, New Zealand.

From there, teams will head to Itajaí, Brazil before arriving in downtown St. Pete for a scheduled stopover from May 4th through May 16th, 2027.

November 21, 2025

Final roof panel installed at Tropicana Field as St. Pete races toward 2026 reopening

November 21, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Workers have officially installed the final roof panel at Tropicana Field in downtown St. Pete, marking a major milestone as the City of St. Petersburg prepares to welcome the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2026.

The new roof, built with a stronger and more weather resistant fiberglass membrane, is part of a more than $60 million renovation effort to restore the ballpark after 110 mile per hour winds from Hurricane Milton shredded the original roof late last year.

Although the Rays are only contracted to play at Tropicana Field through the end of the 2028 season, the City is required to provide the team with a suitable stadium for the full term of the agreement, prompting the need for repairs.

The city is working with Hennessy Construction Services and AECOM Hunt as general contractors for the project.

Roof installation began in August and accounts for more than $23 million of the total renovation cost.

September 30, 2025

It’s official: The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold to Jacksonville billionaire

September 30, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

It’s official. The Tampa Bay Rays have been sold.

An ownership group led by 44-year-old billionaire Patrick Zalupski, CEO of Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes, has finalized the $1.7 billion purchase of the Major League Baseball franchise from longtime owner Stu Sternberg.

The transaction closed Tuesday following unanimous MLB approval last week.

“It’s an incredible honor to become the stewards of the Tampa Bay Rays, a franchise with a proud history and a bright future,” said Zalupski in a statement. “We are especially privileged to have been chosen by Stu Sternberg as his successors, and we’re all energized by the responsibility to serve Rays fans everywhere and this great game.

Commissioner Rob Manfred added, “Major League Baseball is pleased to welcome Patrick and his partners to the ownership ranks. Their collective experience and passion for the game will serve the Rays well as they enter this exciting new chapter."

August 22, 2025

St. Pete pushes forward on $59 million Tropicana Field repairs as roof installation begins

August 22, 2025/ Veronica Brezina

Blue netting now surrounds the steel framework of what’s left of Tropicana Field’s roof in downtown St. Petersburg as crews prepare to install the first set of roof panels.

Last October, winds of up to 110 miles per hour from Hurricane Milton shredded the stadium’s fabric roof, causing extensive interior damage.

Now, the City of St. Pete is on the hook for the repairs.

General contractors Hennessy Construction Services and AECOM Hunt are leading the $59 million repair project, with the new roof accounting for more than $23 million of that total.

“Repair progress is well underway at Tropicana Field,” Mayor Ken Welch wrote in a Facebook post Friday, sharing photos of the work.