The vote represents a major step toward readying the dome for the Rays’ return to St. Petersburg in time for the 2026 season.

Replacement of the roof for Tropicana Field, the battered home of the Tampa Bay Rays, will go on as planned. The St. Petersburg City Council voted 7 to 1 to move forward with its $22.5 million commitment to replace the roof,

Workers had to punch holes in never-before-used drains underneath the baseball diamond so that when it rains, the water inside Tropicana Field has somewhere to go. What Hurricane Milton did to the Trop looks even more apocalyptic than it does from inside.