Tropicana Field

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

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.

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.

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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.

“Anybody who was interested in it will have that 60-day time period to do something, and this has been talked about for a long time.”

The World Baseball Classic puts a few twists on the Grapefruit and Cactus League slates. Tampa Bay opens Feb. 21 in Port Charlotte and makes only one trip to the Steinbrenner Field.

Said St. Petersburg City Council chair Copley Gerdes: “We’ve got a responsibility to move both intentionally and quickly.”

Council member Brandi Gabbard believes the Urban Land Institute (ULI) can provide that “guiding document” for city officials.