Tampa Bay Rays

Tropicana Field's old roof, which was ripped off by Hurricane Milton in 2024, was built to withstand sustained winds of 115 mph.

The new owners, with Prospector Baseball Group, were introduced to Ken Babby over the summer before the Tampa Bay sale was complete and "quickly became attracted to the two clubs."

Franco was convicted of sexually abusing a minor and given a two-year suspended sentence. An appeals court granted the request of Franco's attorneys, ordering a new panel of judges to oversee the case.

Tampa Bay Rowdies officials “were pleased with the outcome” of plans a city consultant presented to St. Petersburg city officials.

Now that the domed roof is fully installed and the indoor stadium is once again protected from the elements, repairs have started on electronic systems, flooring, drywall, and more.

Rays volunteers worked in shifts at the center for nine hours. They helped select and package groceries, assisted recipients to their cars, directed traffic, stocked food and checked for quality issues at the facility’s free market.

Mayor Ken Welch said any agreement must “make sense for the city” and cannot impede long-awaited plans to redevelop roughly 60 acres of prime real estate surrounding the stadium.

More than a year after Hurricane Milton damaged the stadium, interior repairs are set to begin. Construction is ahead of schedule for the Rays to return to their longtime home for the 2026 season.

“The home of the Tampa Bay Rays is right here at Tropicana Field," co-owner and CEO Ken Babby said.

The Rays made it official that they'll be back at a repaired Tropicana Field this season and say they are offering a 15% cut on more than two-thirds of the seats. Also, a return to earlier weeknight game times.

Anyone who's interested in redeveloping the Tropicana Field site now has a couple of extra months to get a plan together. That's because the deadline has been moved back to February.

The court of appeals in Puerto Plata, where the case was heard, said it would issue a ruling on Dec. 9 after hearing arguments from prosecutors and Franco’s lawyers.