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

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

“The primary structure is functional and capable of supporting a replacement tensioned membrane fabric roof,” the Hennessy Construction Services report states.

Eighteen of the football field’s 24 fabric panels failed when the Milton roared ashore on Oct. 9, the report said. There was also damage to the inner parts of the Trope, as it is known in short, from rainwater and other storm-related causes. The stadium opened in 1990 and has been the home of the Rays since their inception in 1998.

Tropicana Field is already slated for demolition when a new $1.3 billion field is finished in time for the 2028 season. With unforeseen costs to the city and Pinellas County from two hurricanes — large amounts of debris removal, damage to parks and infrastructure – two of the main sources of funding for the new stadium could reconsider those plans or decide not to fix the Trop at all.

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

“We have so much need throughout the city,” Council member Brandi Gabbard said at a meeting last week. “I like the Rays. I love Tropicana Field. It’s not that you don’t want to do it. It’s about a balance of priorities.”

The board recently approved $6.5 million to clean the playing field and protect it from any further damage, including waterproofing areas such as the press box, seating areas and scoreboard.

The city has an insurance claim for damages and repairs, but it includes a $22 million deductible and would likely cover only a portion of the total costs. That means taxpayer dollars should be used.

The Rays did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Since the stadium in this damage and repair assessment would not be ready until the 2026 season, the Rays must find another place to play next year.

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

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 Gas Works Historic District, which was once a thriving black community displaced by the construction of the football stadium and an interstate highway.