City approves $6.5M to clean up and protect Rays stadium after Hurricane Milton

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The metropolis of St. Petersburg will walk astir $6.5 cardinal to cleanable up and defender against immoderate further harm to Tropicana Field, nan location of baseball's Tampa Bay Rays that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Milton.

The translucent fiberglass dome of nan ballpark was shredded by nan large wind Oct. 9, leaving successful uncertainty whether it tin beryllium repaired successful clip to unfastened nan 2025 season. Major League Baseball wants nan Rays to play location games successful nan area if nan ballpark isn't ready, astir apt astatine 1 of respective section outpouring training sites.

The St. Petersburg City Council voted Thursday to o.k. 2 contracts pinch firms to clear nan pieces of tile that litter nan ballpark, region damaged turf and waterproof galore areas including nan scoreboard, seating areas, suites and nan property box, according to metropolis documents. The ballpark does not person a drainage strategy and could prolong further harm passim nan building from rainfall without its roof.

“We request to enactment quickly to protect nan building from further damage," said Rob Gerdes, nan metropolis administrator.

An ongoing study will find what it will return to afloat repair nan Trop, arsenic it's known locally, including nan costs and timeline for completion. A complicating facet is nan city's scheme to conception a caller $1.3 cardinal ballpark that would unfastened successful 2028, portion of a overmuch larger urban revitalization project that was approved earlier this year. Under that deal, nan Rays perpetrate to stay successful St. Petersburg different 30 years.

“Is this building that is only going to beryllium utilized for 3 much years worthy nan finance that we are making?” said assembly personnel Brandi Gabbard.

The 2 cleanup and mitigation contracts are $3.9 cardinal to BMS CAT and $2.5 cardinal to Hennessy Construction Services Corp., according to metropolis documents. The money would beryllium portion of a projected $22 cardinal deductible nan metropolis has pinch nan Trop's insurers, which will insist nan building beryllium protected from much damage.

Some metropolis assembly members wanted to hold Thursday's ballot until much accusation astir nan stadium's early is available. But that effort grounded connected a necktie ballot and immoderate assembly members said it's basal to halt immoderate further destruction.

“This is astir stopping nan bleeding. It sounds for illustration salary now aliases salary later, and salary much later,” said assembly personnel Gina Driscoll.

Suggestions for a impermanent Rays location person included section outpouring training sites utilized by nan Phillies, Blue Jays, Yankees, Pirates and Tigers. A spot further distant is nan Rays’ ain outpouring training analyzable successful Port Charlotte, astir 85 miles (136 kilometers) southbound of St. Petersburg. Another action whitethorn beryllium nan ballpark astatine Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports analyzable adjacent Orlando.

The Rays' unit has already relocated to adjacent agency space.

MLB is looking to person a scheme for 2025 successful spot by Christmas.

“We tin make it activity successful a insignificant convention park,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said during nan World Series, which wrapped Wednesday pinch nan Los Angeles Dodgers defeating nan New York Yankees. “I deliberation there’s astir apt immoderate elasticity successful position of what we do pinch nan large convention schedule.”