Tropicana Field may not be renovated until 2026 at an estimated cost of around $55.7 million, according to a damage assessment report sent on Tuesday to members of the St. Petersburg City Council.

High reconstruction costs. Will the city take on the challenge?

The report, which does not account for all elements in need of repair, estimates that Hurricane Milton caused $39 million in damages, with an additional $16 million in costs for design, permits, insurance, inspections, staffing, and unforeseen construction expenses. The most expensive item to replace will be the roof, at an estimated cost of $23.6 million.

A point of discussion has been whether the city will want to spend this amount on only two more seasons of use for Tropicana Field, considering plans for a new stadium set to open in 2028. There's also the matter of a $22 million deduction and how much of the $55 million will be covered by insurance and reimbursements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. However, St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch said that the report is good news and raised the possibility that the Rays might play for three seasons at the renovated Trop, with the new stadium's construction being delayed by a year.

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Where will Rays play next season?

Due to the massive destruction at Tropicana, the Tampa Bays Rays have been forced to look for a replacement stadium for the 2025 season. The New York Yankees team came up with a proposal, offering their practice facility, Steinbrenner Field. The replacement stadium is more than four times smaller than destroyed Tropicana, or Yankee Stadium, offering 11,000 seats.

The only problem with this solution may be the Tampa Tarpons team playing their regular round games there . However, there are two options to resolve the situation. Either the Tarpons face a temporary move, or the two schedules will be reconciled.

We very much appreciate the Yankees allowing us to play at Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season. The damage to Tropicana Field caused by the hurricane forced us to take extraordinary measures Rays owner Stuart Sternberg said gratefully.