St. Petersburg $30M stormwater/SPAR; Tropicana repairs
Key Questions
What repairs were completed at Tropicana Field after Hurricane Milton?
Tropicana Field underwent $57-60 million in repairs, including roof, turf, suites, and video systems, completed mold-free. The Rays played their 6-4 sellout opener vs. Cubs on April 6, 2026.
What happened to the crane-damaged tower in St. Petersburg?
The 490 First Ave S office tower, damaged by a crane during Milton, is now for sale as a high-rise redevelopment site with $10.5 million insurance suits pending.
What stormwater improvements are funded in St. Petersburg?
St. Pete allocated $30 million for stormwater projects, including Bartlett's $1.5 million and ResilientFL initiatives. A parking sinkhole at Tropicana was fixed ahead of Rays' return.
When did Paradise Lutheran Church in Treasure Island reopen?
Paradise Lutheran Church, hit by Milton, rebuilt and reopened in time for Easter service after over a year of renovations.
What was the Rays' first game back at Tropicana Field?
The Rays returned after 18 months, defeating the Cubs 6-4 in a sellout crowd, embracing the repaired stadium post-Milton damage.
What caused the parking lot issue at Tropicana Field?
A broken stormwater pipe created a depression in the Tropicana parking lot, repaired before the Rays' homecoming.
What permitting challenges followed the storms in beach towns?
Spectrum Bay News 9 notes double worries for homeowners with properties in multiple beach towns due to permitting delays after storms like Milton.
What is Permiteyes in St. Pete context?
Permiteyes relates to post-storm permitting processes, including ArcGIS-tracked debris removal, plaster, painting, and roof repairs without structural changes.
Tropicana $57-60M repairs complete/mold-free (roof/turf/suites/video); Rays 6-4 sellout 4/6/26 opener vs Cubs; StPete 490 First Ave S crane-damaged tower for high-rise redev ($10.5M ins suits); $30M stormwater/Bartlett $1.5M/ResilientFL; Paradise Lutheran reopened; parking sinkhole fixed; Permiteyes.