MLB Tropicana Field loses roof to hurricane

[LadyStanley]

https://www.mlb.com/news/tropicana-field-roof-damaged-during-hurricane-milton

Exposed to elements, some concerns as there are no drainage systems in place.

Team has not been able to determine full extent of damage.

Click to read more...

 

[LadyStanley]

Some nice video/still shots of damage. How much might they spend for a few years before new stadium completed?

 

[The Marquis]

Dome nice video/still shots of damage. How much might they spend for a few years before mew stadium completed?

Wow, that’s wild. That sure is one way to get your new stadium.

 

[StreetHawk]

https://www.mlb.com/news/tropicana-field-roof-damaged-during-hurricane-milton

Exposed to elements, some concerns as there are no drainage systems in place.

Team has not been able to determine full extent of damage.

No domed stadium is built with drainage are they?

Might not be worth saving if the damage is really bad.

Could see the rays having to play elsewhere in 2025.

 

[sneakytitz]

Well the good news for the Rays is that Florida is full of baseball stadiums, albeit it at reduced capacities. The Rays actually own one of them (Charlotte Sports Park) but I don't know if that place was wrecked by Milton, either. I would bet the expansion groups in Orlando/Nashville/Carolinas are reaching out to them to host games to help their case that they can support a team.

 

[jetsmooseice]

Is putting in some type of rudimentary "good enough" drainage feasible here? It seems crazy to build a new roof for just a few years before the place is decommissioned as opposed to using it as an outdoor venue for a short while.

 

[LadyStanley]

52" annual rainfall. 30" June to September (rainy season).

Could be lots of delays/scheduling due to weather.

 

[sneakytitz]

Is putting in some type of rudimentary "good enough" drainage feasible here? It seems crazy to build a new roof for just a few years before the place is decommissioned as opposed to using it as an outdoor venue for a short while.

In addition to the rain, most of Florida has these random thunderstorms that pop up all the time so you'd get lightning (hence the Tampa Bay Lightning) delays non-stop. Tampa is called "the lightning capital of the world".

 

[Takuto Maruki]

If anything, what happened with Tropicana and the roof reminds me a lot of what happened to BC Place when it had the soufflé top roof. Got damaged because of snow and ice in 2007, ripped a *single* portion of the roof and left it flapping in the wind and got deflated as a precautionary measure. The roof was already going to be replaced for the Olympics in 2010, the damage to the roof just accelerated things and rubber-stamped the process of PavCo and the provincial government getting the retractable roof they wanted. The rest is history.

Wouldn't be surprised if this just makes getting a stadium, after all the drama, a significantly easier process now that the Rays have a valid reason to go to government figures and plead their case.

 

[oknazevad]

If anything, what happened with Tropicana and the roof reminds me a lot of what happened to BC Place when it had the soufflé top roof. Got damaged because of snow and ice in 2007, ripped a *single* portion of the roof and left it flapping in the wind and got deflated as a precautionary measure. The roof was already going to be replaced for the Olympics in 2010, the damage to the roof just accelerated things and rubber-stamped the process of PavCo and the provincial government getting the retractable roof they wanted. The rest is history.

Wouldn't be surprised if this just makes getting a stadium, after all the drama, a significantly easier process now that the Rays have a valid reason to go to government figures and plead their case.

They already have their new ballpark deal signed. Groundbreaking is supposed to be in a couple of months and set to open in 2028. They don't need to ask government for anything, as they've already got it.

The only question is what to do in the interim. The roof at the Trop is structured like an umbrella, and it appears that the fabric (a Teflon-coated fiberglass fabric) is shredded, but the underlying frame is intact, though a closer inspection to see if it was in any way bent or twisted by the fabric being ripped away is needed. If they got lucky and the frame is ok, they could just put new cloth (or EFTE) on it, though that might take a bit longer than to the beginning of next season. Too soon to say.

 

[LadyStanley]

Re: Insurance. Not knowing what coverage there is on the building, realize that the WIND was the cause of losing the roof, but WATER may be the main cause of damage inside the building.

They may or may not have flood insurance which would cover the water damage, but the roof (replacement) may be (partially) covered (less any deductible).

 

[KevFu]

Couple of things...

#1 - When the Blue Jays played 2020 in Buffalo because of COVID, they had to spend like $40m on Buffalo's Triple A stadium making it good enough. And that was with "back of house" media stuff not being a big factor because media wasn't traveling; and anything for FANS not being a factor because they weren't allowed in.

#2 - The original roof -- which BTW, has been there since 1990 survived until the 112th Tropical Storm or hurricane to hit Florida -- took five months to install. Five months from now is March.

#3 - The City of St. Pete owns the Trop, and has to decide what it's future is post-Rays.


Take those things together, and the Rays aren't going to sink $50m into playing in a minor league park somewhere else for three years, they're just going to work with the city to get the roof replaced by April.