St. Petersburg says Tropicana Field will be ready for Rays’ April 6 home opener

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — City officials in St. Petersburg showed off the newly enclosed dome at Tropicana Field on Wednesday and said they are confident the ballpark will be ready for the Tampa Bay Rays’ homer opener on April 6 against the Chicago Cubs following work to repair the damage caused by Hurricane Milton.

“We have no concern about being open or ready for opening day,” said Beth Herendeen, managing director of City Development Administration. “We hope we keep it that way.”

kAm$@>6 D62> H@C< C6>2:?D @? E96 7:?2= A2?6=D E@ 4=@D6 D>2== 82AD 2E E96 E@A 2?5 :?E6C:@C C6A2:CD 2C6 H6== F?56CH2J]k^Am

kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C2JD\EC@A:42?2\7:6=5\C6EFC?\3a_27`bd__fe_34dbe7eh666272eh4abQm%C@A:42?2 u:6=5k^2m DFDE2:?65 6IE6?D:G6 52>286 @? ~4E] h[ a_ac] w:89 H:?5D C:AA65 D64E:@?D @7 E96 @C:8:?2= C@@7[ 2==@H:?8 C2:? E@ 72== :?E@ E96 DE25:F> 3@H= 7@C >@?E9D] (2E6C 42FD65 >@=5 2?5 52>286 E@ 6=64EC:42=[ D@F?5 2?5 3C@2542DE DJDE6>D]k^Am

kAm%96 4:EJ 4@?EC24E65 t%$[ ptr~| wF?E 2?5 w6??6DDJ r@?DECF4E:@? E@ =625 E96 C6A2:CD[ 2?5 3C@F89E 324< v6:86C t?8:?66C:?8[ E96 5@>6VD @C:8:?2= 56D:8?6C[ E@ 96=A C66?8:?66C E96 C@@7] %96 DJ?E96E:4 >6>3C2?6D @7 !@=JE6EC27=F@C@6E9J=6?6 W!%utX 2C6 E9:4<6C 2?5 3F:=E E@ 4FCC6?E H:?5\=@25 4@56D]k^Am

kAm“%96 C@@7 E92E H2D C6A=2465 925 E@ 36 56D:8?65 E@ E@52J’D 4@56D[” 4:EJ 2C49:E64E #2F= “F:?E2?2 D2:5] “xE’D 2 >F49 DEC@?86C >2E6C:2= E92? :E H2D bd J62CD 28@[ 2?5 :E’D 8@:?8 E@ =2DE]”k^Am

kAm%96 #2JD A=2J65 k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^C2JD\DE6:?3C6??6C\7:6=5\>2<6@G6C\`agbb576hdf43fb6`cbgg3g6a_h7ba`gQma_ad 9@>6 82>6D 24C@DD E96 32J 😕 %2>A2 2E $E6:?3C6??6C u:6=5k^2m[ E96 DAC:?8 EC2:?:?8 9@>6 @7 E96 }6H *@C< *2?<66D]k^Am

kAmx?DE2==2E:@? @7 E96 ?6H C@@7 3682? 😕 pF8FDE[ 2?5 E96 7:?2= A2?6= H2D AFE 😕 A=246 }@G] a`] $@>6 EC:2?8F=2C A2?6=D DE:== D9@H 4@=@C G2C:2E:@?[ H:E9 ?6H6C A:646D 36:86 2?5 62C=:6C @?6D 2=C625J 3=624965 H9:E6[ 3FE “F:?E2?2 D2:5 E96J H:== 6G6?EF2==J >2E49]k^Am

kAm“xE E@@< 23@FE E9C66 >@?E9D E@ 3=6249 @FE E96 @?6D E92E H6C6 7:CDE :?DE2==65[Q 96 D2:5]k^Am

kAm%96 2:C\4@?5:E:@?:?8 DJDE6> 92D 366? C624E:G2E65[ 2?5 4@?EC24E@CD 2C6 7@4FD65 @? 6=64EC:42= H@C<[ D62E:?8 2?5 D@F?5 6BF:A>6?E] %96 E62> 😀 FA8C25:?8 E96 =FIFCJ DF:E6D 2?5 E96 DE25:F> G:56@ 3@2C5]k^Am

kAm“sCJH2== 😀 36:?8 9F?8[ D62ED 2C6 36:?8 A2:?E65[ 2?5 E96 42EH2=< 6=64EC:4 😀 36:?8 :?DE2==65[” w6C6?566? D2:5] “%96 ?6H DE25:F> D@F?5 DJDE6> H:== 36 :?DE2==65 E9:D >@?E9 2?5 E6DE65 😕 y2?F2CJ]”k^Am

kAm}6H 2CE:7:4:2= EFC7 😀 D4965F=65 E@ 2CC:G6 😕 >:5\y2?F2CJ] ~E96C 7:?2= FA52E6D :?4=F56 ?6H 9@>6\A=2E6 4=F3 D62ED[ 4=F39@FD6 42CA6E 2?5 =@4<6CD[ 2?5 ?6H 7=@@C:?8 @? E96 @FE7:6=5 564<]k^Am

kAm%2>A2 q2J DE2CED E96 D62D@? H:E9 2 ?:?6\82>6 EC:A E@ $E] {@F:D[ |:=H2F<66 2?5 |:??6D@E2]k^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! |{qi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^|{qQm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^|{qk^2mk^Am

St. Petersburg says Tropicana Field will be ready for Rays’ April 6 home opener | National Sports

Tags: