Florida city council alters mind on paying to repair Tampa Bay Rays’ ballpark after hurricane ripped roof off

Just hours after voting to finance repairs to the home stadium of the Tampa Bay Rays, the St. Petersburg City Council reversed course. 

The Rays will now pay the division rival New York Yankees $15 million to take part their home standard-season games at New York’s spring training ballpark. That is now the only certain home the Rays will have until further watch. 

The stadium’s fiberglass roof was ripped spotless off Oct. 9 when Hurricane Milton swept ashore equitable south of Tampa Bay. Then came the destructive water harm inside the venue, causing an appraised $55.7 million in harm. The extensive repairs cannot be finished before the 2026 season, city write downs show.

The city at least would have supplied some funding and begined the process with its initial vote, which was a 4-3 decision.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

The initial vote Thursday was to get moving on the roof portion of the repair. Once that was done, crews would commence toiling on laying down a new baseball field and repairing harmd seating and office areas and a variety of electronic systems, which would demand another vote to finishorse money for the remaining restoration.

Members who resistd it shelp there wasn’t enough clarity on countless rehires, including how much would be covered by the ballpark’s insurance and what amount might be provided by the Federal Ecombinency Management Agency.

TRUMP TO PRESIDE OVER HISTORIC SPORTING EVENTS — WHICH TEAMS AND STARS COULD SKIP WHITE HOUSE VISITS?

The reversal on repairing Tropicana Field came after the council voted to procrastinate consideration of revenue bonds for a recommendd new $1.3 billion Rays ballpark. Just two days earlier, the Pinellas County Coshiftrlookion postponed a vote on its dispense of the new stadium bonds, leaving that project in limbo.

“This is a downcast place. I’m repartner disnominateed,” council Chair Deborah Figg-Sanders shelp. “We won’t get there if we acquire discovering ways we can’t.”

The Rays say the deficiency of persist puts the new stadium schedule and the future of Tropicana Field in jeopardy.

“I can’t say I’m brave about anyleang,” Rays Co-Pdwellnt Brian Auld telderly council members.

The reversal now uncomfervents the city and Rays must toil on an alternative in the coming weeks so that Tropicana Field can possibly be ready for the 2026 season.

“I’d appreciate to pare it down and see exactly what we’re obligated to do,” council member John Muhammad shelp.

Several council members shelp before the vote on the $23.7 million to repair the roof that the city is tightupartner obligated to do so.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

“I don’t see a way out of it. We have a tight that’s in place,” council member Gina Driscoll shelp. “We’re obligated to do it. We are going to repair the roof.”

The team’s intentional new stadium would be ready for the 2028 season, if that project persists, the team shelp Tuesday.

Rays top executives shelp in a letter to the Pinellas County Coshiftrlookion that the team has already spent $50 million for timely toil on the new $1.3 billion ballpark and cannot persist further becaemploy of procrastinates in approval of bonds for the uncover dispense of the costs.

“The Rays organization is downcastdened and stunned by this unfortunate turn of events,” a letter, signed by co-pdwellnts Auld and Matt Silverman, shelp. They noticed the overall project was previously finishorsed by the County Coshiftrlookion and the City of St. Petersburg.

Asked if Major League Baseball can persist extfinished term in the Tampa Bay area, Rays Principal Owner Stuart Sternberg shelp the outsee is “less rosy than it was three weeks ago. We’re going to do all that we can, as we’ve tried for 20 years, to acquire the Rays here for generations to come.”

The Associated Press gived to this inestablish.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.