Tropicana Field Set To Reopen for Home Opener After $60M Hurricane Repair

Tropicana Field will be ready. The Tampa Bay Rays face Toronto on April 6 in their home opener after a $60 million restoration following Hurricane Milton's damage to the facility in October 2024. City officials confirmed the project stays on schedule and on budget during a media tour Friday.

The restoration includes a brand-new fiberglass dome roof built to withstand winds between 150 and 165 miles per hour. A French company designed the new material. Germany manufactured it. Workers cut it into 24 panels in China, then shipped everything to St. Petersburg. The translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric known as PTFE comes in panels weighing about 5,000 pounds each.

Crews installed the panels more than 200 feet above the field using ropes and harnesses. Each panel needed a six-hour window with clear skies. The final roof panel was secured on Nov. 21, 2025.

Workers installed more than 137,000 square feet of new turf after the roof was sealed. The infield includes 450 tons of clay, and the warning track got a walnut shell blend. A three-quarter-inch pad was placed over the concrete before crews rolled out the new playing surface.

"Obviously, the roof is on, the field is here. The seats are in place. Things are getting painted. The lights are on. The audio system is hung," said Beth Herendeen, a spokesperson for the City of St. Petersburg, according to WTSP. "All of those major components that are necessary for playing baseball are here — and are working."

Interior repairs included drywall, electrical work along the catwalks, painting, and installation of a new sound system. Damaged seating has been repaired or replaced, including upholstered seating in the bowl. Air-conditioning systems have been turned back on. New player lockers were delivered this week, with clubhouse renovations expected to wrap up by early March.

At the height of construction, about 350 workers were on site daily. That number has since dropped to about 225 tradespeople as the project moves closer to completion.

Funding for the repairs includes $16.5 million from FEMA, $10.8 million from insurance, and an additional $2.75 million expected to be reimbursed by the state. The St. Petersburg City Council set aside $59.7 million for the repair initiative.

The Rays played the 2025 season at George Steinbrenner Field in Tampa after the hurricane forced them out of their home venue. Their lease expires after the 2028 season. A Fan Fest Block Party was held Saturday outside the facility featuring a community yard sale, meet-and-greet opportunities with players, games, mascots, and a stage show.