st. PEET, Fla. (WFLA) – St. Pete City Council will vote Thursday afternoon to close the Rays’ new stadium deal.
They are also expected to vote to spend an additional $5 million to repair the Tropicana Field.
With repair work in the TROP ongoing, council members will vote Thursday to formally close the contract to build a new stadium for the Ray.
“It’s the end of the chapter, but certainly not the end of the story,” Mayor Ken Welch said.
Hurricane Milton did more than damage the trop. The storm also tore a $1.3 billion deal, helping to build new stadiums and develop the surrounding gas factory districts.
Earlier this year, Mayor St. Pete said the team’s decision to abandon the plan was a major disappointment.
“I’m not interested in working with this ownership group. They have a series of contracts signed on July 31 or August 1 last year. Why are we going back to the same group?” Welch said.
When councillors vote to formally close the new stadium deal, they turn their attention to saving the Rays’ existing home.
The damage assessment resulted in total cost repairing the hurricane damage to TROP over $50 million, and the team was obliged to play in the stadium until 2028.
City leaders say they hope that all TROP repairs will be completed so that the Rays return to St. Pete for the start of the 2026 season.
