Mayor: Trop is ‘on track’ for opening day 2026

A recent letter from City Administrator Rob Gerdes to the Tampa Bay Rays noted St. Petersburg is not obligated to repair Tropicana Field in time for opening day 2026.

However, that remains the goal.

Gerdes sent the letter, dated Jan. 15, in response to Rays president Matt Silverman stating that the team now supports and expects the city’s plans to repair the storm-damaged stadium under the terms of their current use agreement. Silverman also stressed the importance of completing the work by mid-March 2026, when Major League Baseball kicks off a new season.

Gerdes wrote that while the city must “diligently pursue” repairs, the use agreement does not set a completion deadline. Mayor Ken Welch subsequently said the timeline is still feasible.

“We are still on that track,” Welch told the Catalyst. “I think that is – given all our conversations – the correct plan of action for the city and the Rays.”

Silverman’s letter starkly contrasted with the team’s previously preferred path forward. The latest twist in an ongoing saga began at a November 2024 city council meeting.

Council members initially approved a $23.7 million contract to replace the Trop’s dome – shredded during Hurricane Milton. However, Rays president Brian Auld said that felt like a “bad use of funds” because it would be “next to impossible” to complete the work in time for the 2026 season. The council reversed its vote.

A city architect then showed the council a potential repair schedule with a completion date in early March 2026 at a Dec. 12 meeting. Auld later said the “Rays organization stands ready to support that effort.”

Hurricane Milton caused over $55 million in damage to Tropicana Field. Most stakeholders expect the cost to increase exponentially. Photo: Will Vragovic/Tampa Bay Rays.

Silverman wrote Dec. 30 that “there is a very significant difference” between completing the work in time for opening day or later in the year. The Rays believe a “partial 2026 season in Tropicana Field would present massive logistical and revenue challenges for the team.”

Gerdes replied Jan. 15 that the city empathizes with the team’s storm-induced adversities. He also noted that the use agreement could extend past 2028 if the team cannot play in the Trop for another year. The Rays will spend their 2026 season at a minor league stadium in Tampa.

“We are optimistic that this great tradition will continue in St. Petersburg,” Gerdes concluded. “And will move forward together with our mutual working group, which includes Major League Baseball.”

Repairing the aging stadium would cost the city at least $56 million. Council members, per the use agreement, unanimously approved two contracts totaling $1.66 million to begin the design and engineering phase.

Welch said the council is “familiar with the fact” that insurance and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) proceeds would reimburse most of the cost to fix the Trop. The recent letters do not mention plans to demolish the stadium and build a new $1.3 billion ballpark as part of a massive redevelopment project.

“I think Rob’s letter was a good clarification of what our responsibilities are and the way we’re approaching it,” Welch said. “I think we have to deal with the realities we’re facing.”

He continues discussing the complexities with team leadership and will meet with owner Stuart Sternberg next week. While he hopes to have the Trop fixed in time for the 2026 season, Welch said a relatively slight delay is “not the end of the world.”

“We’re trying to repair a major league-standard baseball facility,” he added. “To me, a few weeks, a couple of months delay still gets them back into major league facility that year, and that’s really the goal.”

From left: City Administrator Rob Gerdes, Mayor Ken Welch and Rays co-presidents Brian Auld and Matt Silverman at a press conference announcing the Rays are “here to stay” in September 2023. Photo by Mark Parker.

Welch said the city would be in a “much more difficult position” without FEMA reimbursements and insurance payments. Administrators expect outside sources to cover all but $14 million of $247 million in storm costs.

Welch said the stadium remains integral to St. Petersburg’s economy, regardless of its impending demolition. He noted the city has lost several marquee and community events, such as graduations, as the Trop sits in disrepair.

“The city is positioned well,” Welch said. “I think our staff here has been very conservative and made sure we have the right kind of reserves and insurance coverage. We’re in a relatively good position.”

While Welch wishes the city could have commenced repairs sooner, he believes the nonlinear process is understandable given the “trauma we’ve all gone through over the last several months.” He noted people need time to analyze their options, “but we’re on the same page now” with repairing the Trop.

“The real focus is what happens beyond that,” Welch said of the new ballpark. “We are looking forward to the Rays making a decision on that because a lot is riding on it.”