ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — There won't be any repairs to Tropicana Field after all, it appears.

What You Need To Know

  • ABOVE: Watch Thursday night Breaking News report

  • City Council approved funding to repair Tropicana Field, which was damaged by Hurricane Milton

  • Rays president, however, says new stadium deal is dead, citing recent actions by county leaders

  • The St. Pete Council then changed course on Trop repairs, choosing to delay the decision

  • BELOW: Mayor Ken Welch statement on Thursday's developments

  • BACKGROUND: Previous stories on the Rays stadium search

In a Thursday afternoon sequence of events, the St. Petersburg City Council approved funding that would have repaired the Trop, which was badly damaged by Hurricane Milton on Oct. 9.

Later, Tampa Bay Rays team President Brian Auld spoke to reporters and basically called the deal for a new stadium for 2028, dead. The Council then revisited the vote they took on repairing the stadium and decided to instead put the decision on hold.

The Council also delayed a decision on bonds for a new Rays stadium, pushing that vote to no later than Jan. 9.

Auld said the stadium deal died when a Pinellas County bond vote recently got pushed back after the election and two ‘yes’ commission votes were replaced with two ‘no’ votes.

"We can’t make the terms of the last deal work because we can’t get the ballpark built it in time for 2028 season, and the additional cost overruns, combined with having to spend another year along with the uncertainty, make that impossible," he said.

"But very important, the county does not want this deal to move forward. We cannot keep having people move down here, signing contracts, spending our money, when it’s pretty clear there’s a negative vote in our favor at the county right now."

He added: “We don't want to move. We wanted to stay in Tampa Bay. It's been our goal from day one. It continues to be our goal.”

The Rays recently announced they will play their 2025 schedule at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa.

The Council voted shortly after 4 p.m. to spend $23 million to fix the Trop's roof, which was shredded by Milton's strong winds.

A city engineer estimated the overall venue repair cost at $55 million.

The city has an insurance policy for $22.5 million and is contractually obligated to fix the stadium. Council members said they didn't feel comfortable, however, spending the entire $55 million on Thursday.

The measure passed by a 4-3 vote. The repairs would have had Tropicana Field ready in time for the 2026 season while the Rays play in Tampa in 2025. But Auld's comments were followed by Council members reversing course.

In a prepared statement released Thursday evening, St. Pete Mayor Ken Welch said:

"While we are disappointed that we are pausing the repair of Tropicana Field and the bond issuance that would finance the city’s contribution to a new stadium, we believe there remains a path forward. My administration is prepared to bring a modified plan back to City Council for their consideration. However, I want to make it clear that this plan will not include additional funds from the City. We maintain our position that the Historic Gas Plant District is an equitable economic driver that will benefit future generations. Ultimately, we remain committed to carrying out our contractual obligations and stand ready to work with our partners in the weeks ahead."

Council members eventually delayed the vote on finalizing bonds to pay for their share of construction for the stadium and infrastructure for the Historic Gas Plant redevelopment project.

Speaking to the Council, Auld apologized for the tone of a letter recently sent to the county, saying the deal was in jeopardy. Auld said the team's letter was not meant to be threatening. | Read the full letter here.

His comments to Council came before he spoke to reporters and said the deal was over.

Welch had supported the city putting forward the money needed to repair Tropicana Field ever since the roughly $55 million price tag was revealed. City Council Chair Deborah Figgs-Sanders says to her understanding, the city has a contractural obligation to pay for repairs.

Outlined in a city report, the use agreement states:

“In the event of total or partial destruction or damage rendering Tropicana Field not suitable for playing Home Games, the Agreement shall be suspended immediately as to playing Home Games until the  stadium is repaired. Within three months of the event of such total or partial  destruction or damage, the City shall begin to repair or rebuild Tropicana Field  using the proceeds from the property insurance for that purpose and shall  diligently pursue such repair or rebuilding until completedn.

The community-led group “Home Runs Matter” held a press conference at City Hall to urge city leaders not to move forward with any type of vote Thursday.