The Tampa Bay Rays are having a lot of trouble getting official approval for their new stadium, and now they’re also encountering resistance to repair their old stadium.

This has been a complicated story, so let’s follow it from the beginning:

Earlier this summer, the Rays essentially gained approval for a new ballpark, scheduled to open in 2028. However, due to Hurricane Milton, bond votes on financing were delayed, thus delaying the project. Additionally, the composition of local government has changed and the project could be rejected entirely.

This issue now parallels that of repairing Tropicana Field, which was also severely damaged by the hurricane. The field has been made unplayable for the 2025 season and the Rays will play at the spring training home of the New York Yankees.

Additionally, local government on Thursday said no to repairing the roof of Tropicana Field, which would cost more than $23 million. However, there is a contractual obligation to repair the roof, so it will happen, it’s just a matter of when. THE Rays Approval is required before the massive project can proceed and these delays are only causing more problems in planning for 2026.

The following comes from Associated Press:

The subsequent vote defunding the roof repair essentially means the city and Rays must work on an alternative in the coming weeks so Tropicana Field can eventually be ready for the 2026 season. The city is legally required to repair the roof .

“I would like to narrow things down and see exactly what we are required to do,” said council member John Muhammad.

Even after the roof is repaired, there is still work to be done to repair the damaged playing surface, electrical systems and other items.

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