Trop's top is back: 24th and final replacement roof panel is in place

Tropicana Field’s roof is whole again, 407 days after its Teflon fabric wedges were peeled away in a hurricane.

The 24th and final replacement panel was put in place Thursday in what St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch called a “massive step forward” in preparing the stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays’ return for the 2026 season.

Welch said the dome was completed ahead of schedule.

Mark Parker

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St. Pete Catalyst

“The Trop's tattered roof quickly became a symbol of Hurricane Milton's impact,” Welch said in a social media post. “One year and some change later, the beautifully repaired roof represents our city’s resilience and determination. This challenging project was carried out with precision, skill, and teamwork between our city staff, contractors and international suppliers – and the results speak for themselves.”

The roof material was manufactured in Germany, then shaped into panels in China. Each panel weighs about 5,000 pounds and covers about 15,000 square feet.

With the ballpark’s iconic lid back in place, the city said "interior construction is full steam ahead.”

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When Milton ripped off the Trop's roof panels on Oct. 9, 2025, it also left significant damage inside the building. Repairs include an expanded main videoboard, new video displays behind home plate and along both foul poles, a new sound system, new field turf and refreshed suite interiors.

Because of the hurricane damage, the Rays played this past season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

All fixes are expected to be complete before the Rays’ April 6 home opener against the Chicago Cubs. The season begins March 26 with a nine-game road trip.

Rays’ co-owner ‘beyond thankful’

In a social media post, Rays co-owner and CEO Ken Babby said he was “beyond thankful” to the city and contractor AECOM Hunt for “delivering on this first major milestone to bring our @RaysBaseball home for Opening Day in April!”

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The city of St. Petersburg is required by contract to pay for the repairs and has authorized nearly $60 million for the project. Insurance has reimbursed about $7.7 million, and the city is seeking additional funds from FEMA. The city also approved applying for a $50 million loan, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Earlier in the week, Babby told fans at Ferg’s sports bar, across the street from the Trop, that the Rays were working on an estimate for additional stadium amenities, which would be paid for by the team.

“Every time I walk into the Trop, there’s something else we want to do,” Babby told St. Pete Catalyst. “We really want to make the experience terrific for our fans, and we’ll talk more about that as we get closer to the start of the season.”

‘Getting the lay of the land’

Babby was part of the investor group led by managing partner and co-chair Patrick Zalupski that purchased the Rays for about $1.7 billion on Oct. 6.

The Rays are required to play at the Trop through the 2028 season, but Zalupski has said the team is searching for a new home.

Babby told St. Pete Catalyst the club has been conducting stadium feasibility studies on several sites throughout the region. Ownership reportedly prefers Hillsborough County.

“I know with respect to the go-forward issue that Patrick and his group are hard at work getting the lay of the land in the Tampa Bay region to find out what their options are,” Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred said Wednesday at the owners meeting in New York.

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Manfred also said finishing the roof was a “really important milestone for us.”

“There's going to be new turf and padding, new flooring throughout, renovations of the suites, the seating areas; all the air quality tests have come back fine, so we're really pleased with the progress that made it at the Trop.”