ST. PETE, Fla., (WFLA) – Thursday afternoon, St. Pete Metropolis Council will vote to terminate the brand new stadium deal for the Rays.
They’re additionally anticipated to vote on spending a further $5 million to make repairs to the Tropicana Area, as they formally shut the door on what would have been one of many largest developments within the metropolis’s historical past.
With restore work on the Trop about to get underway, council members will vote Thursday to formally terminate a deal to construct a brand new stadium for the Rays.
“It’s the finish of a chapter, nevertheless it actually will not be the tip of the story,” stated Mayor Ken Welch.
Hurricane Milton did greater than injury the Trop, the storm additionally helped tear aside the $1.3 billion deal to construct a brand new stadium and develop the encompassing Gasoline Plant District.
Earlier within the yr, St. Pete’s mayor stated the staff’s choice to desert the plans was a serious disappointment.
“I’ve no real interest in working with this possession group. They’ve a set of agreements they signed July thirty first or August 1st of final yr, that all of us agreed to, why would I’m going again to the identical group?” Welch stated.
As council members vote to formally terminate the brand new stadium deal, they may flip their consideration in the direction of salvaging the Rays’ present house.
Injury assessments put the whole value to restore hurricane injury to the Trop at greater than $50 million, with the staff contractually obligated to play within the stadium via 2028.
Metropolis leaders say they’re hopeful all the repairs on the Trop will probably be full in time for the Rays to return to St. Pete for the beginning of the 2026 season.
