A storm-damaged Tropicana Field has progressed from critical to stable condition over the past seven months. The smell of mold is gone, a new roof is in place and repairs are ahead of schedule.
St. Petersburg officials led a media tour Wednesday of a ballpark that again resembles the home of the Tampa Bay Rays. The roof’s installation has allowed hundreds of contractors to restore electrical systems, lighting and address some environmental concerns.
Beth Herendeen, director of city development, said the interior work, including seating, playing field, clubhouse, concourse and press box repairs, is “full speed ahead.” The once-daunting project could also come in under the $59 million budget.
“At this moment in time, we have no concern about being ready for opening day April 6,” Herendeen said. “And we hope to keep it that way.”
City Architect Raul Quintana said roughly 200 workers scatter throughout the stadium daily. That number will “pick up” as the focus turns to installing the Trop’s new sound system, playing field and video boards.
Contractors installed the 24th and final roof panel Nov. 20. Hurricane Milton substantially damaged the stadium in early October 2024, forcing the Rays to spend their 2025 season at Tampa’s Steinbrenner Field.
Crews installed the white panels first.
Some sections of the Trop’s roof remain tan in color, as the sun will naturally bleach it white by opening day. While crews have not completely sealed the dome, Herendeen said drying the stadium following summer rains has allowed myriad interior repairs to begin “in earnest.”
“Because it was raining in here for quite a while, we certainly did have some environmental impacts – some mold, some mildew, but we have been working with Greenfield Environmental, locally, and the Rays have an industrial hygienist,” Herendeen said. “I also want to give a shout-out to BMS CAT, who was our remediation and protection company. They’ve been here this whole time when it rains, getting the water up and drying things out.”
Herendeen said the city, contractually obligated to repair the stadium according to Major League Baseball standards, was fortunate to have a quiet storm season. Officials had a 30-day weather-related contingency window, “and we are very happy we did not have to use it.”
Most of the Trop’s outdoor-rated light fixtures “survived” the storm, Quintana said. Others “were bent and needed to be aimed properly.”
Contractors will install a new stadium sound system this month before testing in January. Most seats suffered minimal damage and are now receiving a fresh coat of paint.
City and Rays officials continue meeting weekly to discuss the project. Herendeen noted there was some “back and forth” over who was responsible for what repairs.
“We would just talk it through and come to a compromise,” she added. “We reached a compromise on, I think, everything.”
A concession area at the Budweiser Porch once featured wooden flooring and technology that allowed checkout-free purchases.
Rays CEO Ken Babby recently pledged that the Trop “would look better than it ever has” when fans return in April. Herendeen said team improvements and city storm repairs are happening concurrently.
The Rays decided to upgrade the Trop’s suites and seats behind home plate. An outdoor-rated, ultra-high definition video board installed in 2023 mostly withstood the elements. “We were just going to fix it,” Heerendeen said. “They are enhancing that.”
Fans can also look forward to the return of an innovative new playing surface installed in 2024 that simulates striped natural grass. The Rays also became Major League Baseball’s first franchise to use a new Safeshell material that exchanges clay for crushed walnut shells to prevent injuries.
City officials enlisted the same manufacturer, Shaw Sports, to install the new artificial field in January. “My understanding is it’s the same exact product, the same exact design,” Quintana said. “We’re not going to deviate from anything.”
Herendeen said the recent ownership did not affect the repair process as most of the team’s front office remained intact. Fans will see a revamped stingray exhibit and Budweiser deck, which once featured checkout-free concession technology but is currently gutted.
A team vendor installed the new tech, and Herendeen believes the company will reinstall the system. “The Rays have some things that they’re doing extra, but we’re expecting our substantial completion to be in early March,” she said.
The Florida Aquarium continues housing live rays that will eventually return home to their enclosure at the Trop.
Mayor Ken Welch believes the Rays will need to extend their Trop lease beyond 2028. He said the 35-year-old stadium could host the team for an additional “five, seven years, whatever makes sense.”
Quintana said the city is repairing the Trop to meet current, more stringent building codes. The stadium could “absolutely” host baseball well into the 2030s.
“This has been a monumental effort on behalf of a whole lot of people,” Quintana said. “We’re confident that this is going to get done, and it’s going to get done right.”