The tattered fiberglass roof has been replaced, but inside Tropicana Field, voices and construction noises still echo without carpeting, artificial grass and drywall in some areas to soften the sounds.
Construction crews scattered throughout the building are busy repairing those things, along with electronic systems, netting, seat painting, and more — all damaged when Hurricane Milton tore through the Tampa Bay area in October 2024.
The high wind ripped off segments of the roof and caused other damage nearby, like a construction crane collapsing on the top floors of the building formerly occupied by the Tampa Bay Times and other renters.
Also read: How much damage did Milton cause at Tropicana Field? These new photos offer a glimpse
Beth Herendeen, the City Development Administration Managing Director for St. Petersburg, said it's mostly smooth sailing now that the inside of the stadium is no longer exposed to the elements.
"The [Tampa Bay] Rays have some things that they're doing extra, but we're expecting our substantial completion to be in the early March-ish neck of the woods, and then obviously there's punch list after that. So it's not done done, but it'll be, for all intents and purposes, done."
A new roof is now in place
The final panel of the stadium’s iconic white, domed roof was replaced last week after a long journey.
“The material was fabricated in Germany, shipped to China to assemble, air freighted from China. We had to deal with a volcano at one point that was not allowing us to fly out of China. So this has been a monumental effort on behalf of a whole lot of people,” said Raul Quintana, the city architect for St. Petersburg.
The polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) panels are thicker than the old ones, and built to withstand higher winds — but they aren't colored the way you might remember from the last 30 years.
Right now, the roof resembles a circus tent, with alternating shades of white and brown.
Quintana said that's because the panels are actually more of a beige color when they’re manufactured.
"The very first panels that came in have bleached out, and so they're white. The most recent panels have that brown tint, and those will also bleach out. So it took about three months to bleach out the ones that were first installed."
Quintana said by April, all the panels will once again be white.
Repair schedule
Repairs scheduled for completion this month include restoring electricity to the catwalk, installing a new sound system, putting up new backstop netting, and putting down floors for the 360° walkway and Viva deck.
Also read: Tropicana Field should be ready for the Rays by Opening Day 2026. Here’s how
Air conditioning inside the building has already been restored.
The new artificial grass will arrive in January, and new home plate club seats will also be installed.
In February, the clubhouse will be outfitted with new carpet and lockers.
Quintana said repairs are still estimated to total about $60 million.
The Rays played this past season's home games at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees.
The 2026 Major League Baseball season is scheduled to start March 26. The Rays' home opener is set for April 6 against the Chicago Cubs after a nine-game road trip to start the season.
