Hurricane Milton’s highest recorded gust in St. Petersburg was 101 mph, enough to shred Tropicana Field’s teflon-coated fabric dome and splay the fragments along an adjacent interstate.
St. Petersburg officials, now completing an estimated $59 million storm repair project, are confident souvenir hunters will not have another opportunity to collect a piece of local baseball history. Contractors installed the 24th and final roof panel Nov. 20 and were still sealing the white and tan material during a Dec. 4 tour.
The sun will naturally bleach the new fabric, now made from polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). While the roof is similar to what Milton blew off in early October 2024, City Architect Raul Quintana noted that 36 years of technological advancements will exponentially increase environmental resiliency…