ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A detailed assessment of hurricane damage to Tropicana Field concludes that the home of the Tampa Bay Rays is structurally sound and can be repaired for the 2026 season for about $55.7 million.

The owner of the building, St. The 412-page report, released Tuesday by the City of St. Petersburg, found that the domed stadium’s basic structure “does not appear to have been adversely affected” by the winds of Hurricane Milton, which tore through much of its fabric. roof.

“The primary structure is serviceable and capable of supporting a replacement tensile membrane fabric roof,” Hennessy Construction Services said in its report.

When Milton came ashore on Oct. 9, 18 of the 24 fabric panels on the ballpark had failed, according to the report. As it is briefly known, damage occurred in the inner parts of Trop due to rain water and other storm-related reasons. The ballpark opened in 1990 and has been the home of the Rays since its founding in 1998.

Tropicana Field is scheduled to be demolished, with the new $1.3 billion ballpark completed in time for the 2028 season. Due to the unforeseen costs of the two hurricanes for the city and Pinellas County (massive debris removal, damage to parks and infrastructure), two of the new ballpark’s main funders may reconsider these plans or decide not to repair the Trop at all.

St. Petersburg City Council will discuss the report at its Nov. 21 meeting.

“We have so many needs throughout the city,” Council member Brandi Gabbard said at a meeting last week. “I love the rays. I love Tropicana Field. This isn’t about not wanting to do it. “It’s about the balance of priorities.”

The council recently approved $6.5 million to clean up the ballpark and protect it from further damage, including waterproof areas such as the press box, seating areas and scoreboard.

The city has an insurance claim for damage and repairs, but it carries a $22 million deductible and will likely cover only a portion of the overall costs. This means taxpayer dollars must be used.

The Rays did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. The ballpark under this damage and repair assessment won’t be ready until the 2026 season, so the Rays must find another place to play next year.

Major League Baseball wants the Rays to stay close to their fan base if possible, with several spring training sites proposed in the Tampa Bay area. These include ballparks in Clearwater (Phillies), Tampa (Yankees), Dunedin (Blue Jays), Sarasota (Orioles), Lakeland (Tigers) and the Rays’ own spring training home in Port Charlotte. Many of these locations host minor league teams during the summer months.

The planned new Rays ballpark is part of a $6.5 billion project that will include affordable housing, a Black history museum, retail and office space, restaurants and bars. The project is known as the Historic Gas Plant District, where there was once a thriving Black community displaced by ballpark and interstate highway construction.