Thrive
Trop repair price tag increases by $15.74 million
Engineering Director Brejesh Prayman said the project could now cost approximately $75 million.
St. Petersburg has now allocated nearly $60 million to repair Tropicana Field. That amount will increase again in September, and officials have no choice but to foot the bill.
City council members approved an additional $15.74 million allocation Thursday in a 7-1 vote. Administrators, as recently as April, have maintained a $55 million estimate established after Hurricane Milton decimated the stadium in October 2024.
The once-domed ballpark has sat exposed to the elements for the past 10 months. Engineering Director Brejesh Prayman said the project could now cost approximately $75 million.
“The action that you took to terminate the Gas Plant redevelopment agreement has no bearing on the repair obligations for Tropicana Field,” City Attorney Jacki Kovilaritch told the council. “There’s no other option from a legal standpoint, in my opinion.”
Contractors are installing Tropicana Field’s new roof, and the stadium should reopen by April 2026. Photo: City of St. Petersburg.
The latest contracts include $1.3 million to purchase and install new artificial turf and $14.4 million for architectural, mechanical, electrical, audio, video, plumbing and low-voltage data work. City council members must approve an unknown amount to repair video production systems Sept. 4.
City council members unanimously approved a new licensing agreement with the Tampa Bay Rays and an additional $5.26 million for sports lighting fixtures at their July 24 meeting. They dedicated nearly $24 million to replacing the Trop’s roof in April.
Councilmember Corey Givens Jr. ardently opposed the additional allocation Thursday. He said officials are also obligated to “listen to our constituents,” who are “telling us the price tag is getting too high.”
“I will not accept the fact that this is all we have to do, which is just spend the money,” Givens said. “What I’m not hearing, or at least a question that hasn’t been asked in the sunshine, is does the new owner … even want the stadium fixed?”
Stakeholders believe a team sale is imminent and that the new ownership group prefers to build a stadium in Tampa. However, the Rays are legally obligated to play in St. Petersburg until the 2028 baseball season concludes.
“I feel like there are other economical options, and this is being rushed,” Givens added. “I would much rather wait another four weeks, six weeks, whatever, until we know what the Rays want to do. If we spend this money, can we get a refund?”
Kovilaritch said the only reimbursement would come from insurance and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). She admitted that there is no guarantee that the city will receive the latter funding. “So, $60 billion down the drain,” Givens replied.
City Architect Raul Quintana said crews will now begin replacing “a lot of the ceilings” and drywall. The dugouts “got hit pretty hard.”
Beth Herendeen (left), special projects manager, and Raul Quintana, city architect. Photo by Mark Parker.
The work also encompasses restrooms, corroded seats, Budweiser porch flooring, carpeting, countertops, the broadcasting booth, sewage pumps and four suites. Quintana said much of the latest costs stem from damaged scoreboards.
Over 100 pages of schematic drawings detail the repairs. Quintana said administrators continue having weekly meetings with Rays and Major League Baseball representatives.
“It’s effectively what’s necessary in order to conduct a Major League Baseball game,” he said of the repairs. “And it was damage caused by the storm.”
Quintana believes the numbers are “very conservative at this time.” Some of the dome material has already left Germany for fabrication in China, and the city remains on track to reopen the Trop in time for the 2026 baseball season.
“Thank you for this report and for really working some miracles out there,” said Councilmember Gina Driscoll. “I have full confidence that you’re going to be able to get this done, and get it done at the time we need it.”
The city allocated $100,000 for costs associated with new tariffs. Quintana said the number has since increased to roughly $260,000.
A consultant periodically inspects the topless Trop for mold. Quintana said tests have not found any significant issues.
Councilmember Richie Floyd noted his opposition to rebuilding the storm-damaged stadium before he and his colleagues voted on roof repairs. “I see no path out of where we are right now,” he added.
“I’ve been impressed by the speed and the efficiency with which the administration has gotten this project done,” Floyd said. “I look forward to that in all of our projects going forward. No pressure, but you’ve shown a real skill here.”
John Burgess
August 8, 2025at9:29 pm
Let’s face it, nothing has made sense during the last two administrations.
Ken Welch has created a monster with his puppets on the city council and all the staff. Property taxes have gone up, all the new buildings and residential properties are increasing tax revenues, where is all the money going?
We are not seeing the improvements we need in our infrastructure and yet we have millions for stadium repairs that have questionable value in the future.
We the people allowed this to happen. We can stop it if we think before we vote.
Velva Heraty
August 8, 2025at6:21 pm
So how is the main library coming along? Oh, and sewer system repairs too? Let’s not forget our contaminated bay front, unsuitable for swimming. My disappointment in this administration is palpable. I admire Givens for speaking the truth. Turf? Really? The trop is in the rearview mirror for the residents yet this administration thrives on pipe dreams and legal shoulder shrugs.
Kari Mueller
August 8, 2025at10:00 am
Why our taxpayers funding the astroturf and other items when we don’t have assurance from the Rays that they will even use the stadium?
We are not contractually obligated to write a blank check for repairs. The priority should be securing the building to prevent further damage.
We have a Municipal Services Center that houses city employees that we know is leaking and moldy and needs to be repaired and really replaced in entirety. Kriseman knew it and had a plan for an alternate location However, the City building issue has been completely ignored during this entire current administration.
How do we instead have $75 million to throw at a stadium the Ray TOLD US NOT TO REPAIR? On November 11, 2024, Brian Auld told the media AFTER council approved repair funding that the Rays didn’t want them to repair the stadium and didn’t want them to spend the money. His comments were recorded by every media outlet at City Hall that day. It’s like we have amnesia.
Stop voting for council members and Mayors who ignore our pressing needs as residents and shovel our tax dollars into corporate pockets without scrutiny!
Alan DeLisle
August 8, 2025at8:00 am
No surprise. It will be $80 million soon. Welch not telling the truth should be common place by now.
But it was a surprise that the city attorney’s office did not have the backbone to stand up to Welch (or the sold-out five council members) and inform the public that the Rays did not have control of the Trop site development under the contract. If so, all of this may have been avoided.
Mayor Kriseman knew better.
JAMES GILLESPIE
August 7, 2025at4:23 pm
TIRED OF HEARING ABOUT TROP AND COSTS WHICH ARE ACTUALLY WITHOUT PERMANENCE. THE DISGUST OF COUNCILMEMBER GIVENS IS WELL BASED. UNDERSTAND COUNCIL HAS NO LEGAL CHOICE BUT THIS IS A SAD PERIOD OF CITY INVESTMENT. THE TOTTAL REPAIR COSTS INVESTED IN PROJECTS OF CITY-WIDE VALUE WOULD BE PREFERABLE. THERE ARE TOO MANY RESIDENTS WHO COULD BENEFIT FROM A BETTER USE OF THE REPAIR FUNDS.
Ryan Todd
August 7, 2025at3:44 pm
Stop funding reconstruction NOW! The price tag will only go up and we all know more damage will come with subsequent storms. Let the Rays file lawsuit if they dare poison public opinion.