A new report has estimated that repairing Tropicana Field will cost a whopping $55 million for the Rays’ 2026 MLB season.

The report stated that the preliminary estimate is based on field assessments of existing conditions by AECOM Hunt and Hennessy Construction between October 21 and November 8, along with supporting reports provided by suppliers.

On October 21, the St. Petersburg City Hall approved a plan to repair the Trop, as it is known, passing 6-2 during a council meeting. But it would be more expensive than initially expected.

In March, the city council passed a resolution change stadium insurance coverage, which reduced the maximum amount of money an insurance company would pay for a claim from $100 million to $25 million for wind and flood damage.

RELATED | Hurricane Milton death toll rises as long road to recovery begins

Then, in early October, the strong winds of Hurricane Milton He tore off the roof of the St. Petersburg stadium.. At the time, the field served as a staging area for hundreds of Florida National Guard members and electrical workers ahead of the storm.

Mayor Kenneth T. Welch issued a statement saying, “The city continues to review the comprehensive damage assessment and remediation recommendation report received from Hennessy Construction in response to storm damage at Tropicana Field. We believe the Our local city team playing in St. Petersburg as soon as possible is important to our community. The City plans to fulfill its obligations to ensure the Rays can play in St. Pete, and the redevelopment of the Gas Plant Historic District. and construction of a new stadium are moving forward. The City is implementing repairs to Tropicana Field with the hope that it will be ready for play in the 2026 season. We anticipate that the majority of repair costs incurred by the City will be covered by insurance and reimbursements from FEMA, making this approach beneficial to the community spirit and fiscally responsible of our community.”

The Rays have played at Tropicana Field since their inaugural 1998 season, but the building itself was built in 1990. The damage caused by Milton came a few months after the city and county of Pinellas approved new $1.3 billion baseball stadium in the Gas Plant Historic District that would open in the 2028 season.

This report was originally published by Scripps Tampa News.