Thrive
Rowdies anticipate return to flood-damaged Al Lang
The Tampa Bay Rowdies will return home for their 50th anniversary season despite Hurricane Helene inundating Al Lang Stadium with six to seven feet of water.
The St. Petersburg City Council unanimously approved a $3.2 million contract Thursday to begin post-storm repairs. Helene’s storm surge flooded below-ground training rooms, electrical equipment and offices inside the former minor league baseball stadium.
Rowdies president Ryan Helfrick said despite the damage, the team will welcome fans for its April 12 home opener. The city will begin a phased approach to repairing the waterfront facility Monday.
“All the repairs taking place are pretty much behind the scenes – nothing is fan-facing,” Helfrick told the Catalyst. “So, the fan experience will continue to live up to what Rowdies matches provide.”
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are the region’s first professional sports franchise. Photo by Mark Parker.
The Tampa Bay Rays own the Rowdies and lease Al Lang from the city. Their agreement runs through November, and Helfrich said the two parties have discussed an extension.
Brejesh Prayman, the city’s capital improvements director, called the renovation project “complex.” He said the team’s operations staff “did a tremendous job” cleaning the stadium after back-to-back hurricanes, and some of the pictures he highlighted were not “as drastic as what we saw when … trying to do the initial damage assessments.”
Prayman noted that flood waters prevented team and city officials from entering the facility immediately after the storms. Once it drained, they found vending machines and other equipment had floated into doorways and blocked access.
“So, you can imagine the amount of water that was in there to topple (them),” Prayman added. “And that was not based on wave action – because the doors were closed.”
A floating vending machine and other equipment blocked doorways.
He said other areas sustained some wind damage from Hurricane Milton. Helfrich said the team’s pitch, installed in early 2023, had a foot of standing water during Helene.
“But we have the best grounds crew in the league, and they were able to save the field,” he continued. “It is in mint condition, and it will look as good as it ever has for the home opener on April 12.”
St. Petersburg-based Create Building Company LLC will lead the renovations. Prayman said those include implementing new flood-resilient flooring and sheetrock materials.
The city will also upgrade and replace electrical equipment. Praymans said the initial focus is repairing locker rooms and restrooms. “It is not a simple project. But it is going to be a very fast-moving one for us.”
Officials will use a $50 million short-term disaster loan to pay for the project. Assistant City Administrator Tom Greene said they could also use insurance and Federal Emergency Management Agency proceeds to offset costs.
The city renovated Al Lang Stadium to host soccer in 2011.
Restoring and upgrading Al Lang is a budget priority for Council Chair Copley Gerdes. He wants to see the stadium host waterfront events outside of Rowdies matches and said the project “is a good point to talk about the next steps.”
Councilmember Corey Givens Jr. echoed that sentiment. “We all know how valuable the Rowdies are to this community,” he added.
The Rowdies became Tampa Bay’s first professional sports team in 1975. The team finished its 2024 season at the IMG Academy in Bradenton.
Helfrick expressed relief and joy to spend the 50th anniversary season at home. He said the city would conduct any lingering repairs during extensive road trips.
“I think the guys are going to be really excited,” Helfrick said of the team. “I think even more so than that, our community, our region has been recovering for the last four months, and to be able to provide fans with access back to Al Lang, provide a sense of normalcy and deliver a strong product on the field – and through our fan experience – is going to be exciting for everyone.”
