UPDATE: The St. Petersburg City Council has voted to approve $1.3 million in funds to make turf repairs to Tropicana Field.
The funding was approved with a 7-1 vote. Councilman Corey Givens Jr. was the lone no vote.
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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The cost to make repairs at Tropicana Field continues to add up.
St. Petersburg City Council is expected on Thursday to approve $1.3 million in funds to make turf repairs later this year.
If the city council approves the money, the funds would be moved from the Disaster Short-Term Financing Fund to the city’s general fund.
The Tampa Bay Rays paid for new artificial turf in March 2024, but months later, Hurricane Milton ripped the roof off and since then it has been exposed to the elements.
The city plans to hire the same company the Rays used to install the new artificial turf, a less expensive option than contracting a different company.
Roof repairs are expected to be completed by December, and turf repairs would happen after that.
Originally, the city had budgeted around $55 million to make repairs at Tropicana Field.
The cost has ballooned to more than $59 million.
The Rays are under contract to play at the Trop through the 2028 MLB season.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)