Petersburg Council voted to begin repairing the Trail, but changed its mind

ST. ST. PETERSBURG — Two hours after voting to spend about $24 million to begin repairing hurricane-damaged Tropicana Field by replacing the stadium’s roof, the St. Petersburg City Council voted for a second time Thursday and decided to stop the plan.

The rare action added to the uncertainty about where the Rays will play starting in 2026 amid broader issues that have called their long-term future in the Tampa Bay area into question.

City officials hoped that with a new roof and additional repairs now estimated to cost approximately $26.5 million (in addition to the $6.5 million already spent protecting the stadium from further damage), the Rays could return to Tropicana Field as time for the start of the match. Season 2026.

The initial 4-3 vote came amid controversy and doubts, including from the Rays, that the project could be completed on time and at that cost.

Copley Gerdes, Brandi Gabbard, Gina Driscoll and Deborah Figgs-Sanders voted in favor of the expenses; Voting against were Lissette Hanewicz, John Muhammad and Richie Floyd.

But after vote to delay bond finalization for planned but now imperiled new stadiumGabbard raised the issue of a second vote to repair the Trail, and it was overturned unanimously. City Administrator Rob Gerdes said city staff approved the plan because it would allow time to learn more about the full renovation plan.

Council members who initially voted to begin renovations said they did so to comply with the lease, which requires the city to provide the team with adequate space to host home games. The deal runs through 2027, and since the Rays won’t play there in 2025, it could be extended through 2028.

“I just don’t see any other path that is legally responsible for us at this point,” Gabbard said.

Rays President Brian Auld, who was present at the meeting, said after the first vote that the Rays were skeptical about completing the planned renovations on time, which would be more problematic for the team than not completing the renovations.

“I would say the challenge of being prepared by 2026 is enormous. … – said Old. “So we’ll probably have to plan for ’26 somewhere and also hope that the city can get Tropicana Field ready. However, as stated repeatedly at the podium, our staff will work as hard as we can to work with the city to prepare it to mitigate the damage.”

Auld said the team would have “more confidence” in working out an agreement with the city, such as a review of the calculation, than in dealing with the added uncertainty of the renovation plan.

“Our confidence will actually be higher if the decision is made not to remediate the Tropicana field, because I don’t believe we’ll have a firm answer on whether it can be done for a very long time,” Auld said. “Based on the conversations we’ve had with our engineers, I believe we’re looking at a ’26 situation where the city is trying to get a stadium ready and we have to come up with alternative plans and all the costs that come with that, it’s actually more problematic for us. That’s why we are working to reach a settlement.”

The original resolution approved by the council called for the city to approve an agreement between it and Hennessy Construction Services to begin the project.

The city had to borrow money from four other funds to provide $23.73 million to the General Capital Improvement Fund to cover the cost of roof repairs. This included loans of $10 million from the workers’ compensation fund, $7.5 million from parking revenues, $5 million from the Equipment Replacement Fund (5002) and $1.230 million from technology and infrastructure.

City officials said that amount will be included in the city’s insurance coverage.

The trope remained unplayable in 2025 after Hurricane Milton swept through St. Petersburg Oct. 9, destroying a 6-acre Teflon-coated fiberglass roof and causing other significant damage throughout the stadium, which opened in 1990.

City officials in charge of the renovations released a report Nov. 12 saying the stadium was structurally sound and could be repaired, but it would cost about $56 million and take place just before the start of the 2026 season. do it. Rays will play the 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, home of the Yankees.

One of the main questions was whether the Trop was worth repairing, given its short remaining service life.

The Rays planned to play there until 2027 and then move to a new stadium to be built on an adjacent site.

But the impact of the hurricane changed that plan for several reasons.

Because the Rays won’t be able to use Tropicana Field in 2025, a clause in the original agreement called for the lease to be extended for any missed season, so it will now run through 2028.

More importantly, the new stadium project was in serious jeopardy following the Pinellas County Commission’s decision. postponed vote on bond approval to finance its share of the $1.3 billion value.

The Rays now say the stadium cannot be completed until 2029 and the cost would be prohibitive. current deal no longer works as they are responsible for cost overruns. Auld said Thursday they want to stay in Tampa Bay and are open to any ideas to make it work.

Trop’s 412-page damage report, which includes preliminary prices for some repairs, estimates Hurricane Milton caused $39 million in damage and an additional $16 million in costs such as engineering, permitting, insurance, inspection , personnel costs and construction contingencies. The roof is the most expensive item.

Noting that the city was obligated under the original 30-year use agreement to give the Rays a place to play, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said Nov. 12 that the report provides a “best case scenario for us” and wants the City Council will vote to continue the renovation.

He also said the city expects that “the majority of repair costs incurred by the City will be covered by insurance and FEMA reimbursement, making this approach both beneficial to community spirit and fiscally responsible for our community.”

Some assessments, such as the electrical system assessment, were conducted through visual inspection and will require testing of components, so the overall price may be higher, potentially significantly. Also not included was the cost of the roof’s acoustic membrane, which improves sound quality during events.

The $55.7 million figure includes about $6.5 million. City Council approved Oct. 31. remove the remains of the roof and damaged turf, and protect exposed areas of the stadium from further damage by waterproofing. The stadium was built as an indoor facility with no drainage system, so without a roof the team could not play there.

As the landlord, the city is responsible for repairs to the stadium and has already filed an insurance claim. The city’s policy includes a $22 million deductible and $25 million in coverage, cut in March from $100 million so the city could save $275,000 in premium payments.

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