By Miguel Mike Medina
Photo Credit: Marco Bello | Credit: REUTERS
If you’re a fan of Tropicana Field, then this news will bring a smile to your face. According to the Tampa Bay Times, Saint Petersberg city council members approved $22.5 million for a new Tropicana Field roof.
The final voting results for a new roof were 7-1 on Thursday. After many speculations about the Rays possibly relocating to Orlando, the officials may not be ready to move on from having the Rays in St Petersberg. We can’t rule out that it could happen in the future, but in the meantime, Rays will stay in the hearts of many people who live and support St Petersberg.
The Rays team could return to Tropicana Field and play their home game by Opening Day of 2026. The Rays are currently playing their home games at Steinbrenner Field, the spring training home of the New York Yankees and the stadium used by the Yankees’ Single-A affiliate, the Tampa Tarpons.
The decision to play at Tropicana Field again or keep the Rays in St Petersberg might not sit well with many people in the community or people involved in politics. A group of people want the Rays to relocate or sell the team. It would be interesting to see how long the Rays will stay at St Petersberg.
According to the city architect Raul Quintana, it’s not just the work of the roof but also facing the playing surface, audio and visual electronics, installing flooring, drywall, concession stands, and many more problems to fix. How much is the total estimated cost for the damage repairs? The total price is an estimated $56 million.
It’s a major investment, but an investment worthy of bringing satisfaction to the fans. The updated version of Tropicana Field might look better than the previous one, but it might need some tweaks.
Miguel Mike Medina is the publisher of The MMM Journal. He can be reached at medinamiguelmike@gmail.com and themmmjournal@gmail.com
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