In the days before Hurricane Milton, top officials at one of the firms building Tropicana Field became “concerned” that the stadium’s roofing would not withstand the historic winds predicted for the Tampa Bay region. That concern proved prescient as videos surfaced Wednesday night showing the roof of the Tampa Bay Rays’ home field being torn away, exposing the once domed stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida.

The roof had never been replaced in the more than 34 years since it was installed, despite having “well exceeded its intended lifespan,” according to David Campbell, president of Geiger Engineers, the group that installed the roof for the stadium’s opening in 1990 .He said the lifespan of the Teflon fabric is about 25 years.

“They plan to move into a new building in the not too distant future. And they were hoping, I think, to make it,” Campbell said, noting that while it was a “significant storm,” the fabric was designed to “safely withstand” the damage it withstood anyway.

“But,” he added, “the material is very, very old now.”

The team plans to begin construction on a new ballpark on an adjacent site in St. Petersburg in 2025, with hopes of opening Gas Plant Stadium by opening day in 2028.

As for how long it would take to repair Tropicana Field’s roof, Campbell said it’s too early to give a specific timeline, especially since it would depend on whether the venue’s primary structure has any significant has suffered damage. Although he said the strut and cable networks “appear to be in good order,” a more thorough condition assessment would be needed to determine an accurate repair schedule.

The Rays open next season at home in less than six months, on March 27. It is unclear whether the damage sustained on Wednesday can be repaired before the season starts.

Although the team issued a statement, it declined to comment on issues specifically related to the roof or possible structural damage to the site. The city of St. Petersburg, which owns Tropicana Field, also declined to comment on the roof, saying in a written statement: “we are extremely grateful that no one was injured at Tropicana Field. In the coming days and weeks, the city will work with the Tampa Bay Rays to thoroughly assess the condition of the ballpark and chart a path forward.”

Campbell was part of the team that built the roof nearly 40 years ago. He clarified that while there were no “life safety concerns” regarding the preservation of the aging fabric, the wear and tear over the years would make it more susceptible to significant damage in high winds.

The Rays, who operate the ballpark, said only essential personnel were on site Wednesday evening and that they were all safe as of Thursday morning when the Category 3 hurricane passed through. Contrary to initial reports, the Rays said the ballpark was not used as a shelter during the storm.

To our Rays family, fans and the entire Tampa Bay community. 💙 pic.twitter.com/X9fwjZdcRX

— Tampa Bay Rays (@RaysBaseball) October 10, 2024

Drone footage of the interior of Tropicana Field after the storm. (Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the Rays, Tropicana Field’s roof was made of six acres of translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass. It resembled the fiberglass roof of the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome, which once stood in Minneapolis and collapsed due to snow in 2010. Replacing the Metrodome roof took five months and cost $23 million. Campbell said Tropicana Field is a similar size, but fewer panels. That could make for a faster installation, but that is not guaranteed.

“It could be done if the primary structure is usable,” Campbell said. “In five or six months we can have the dome closed again.”

Geiger has remained a consultant on numerous issues at Tropicana Field over the years, Campbell said, on everything from maintaining security for World Wrestling Entertainment events involving the roof to replacing the center dome, a small structure at the top the dome. Campbell said the Rays used other companies to inspect the substance, but he reviewed their reports.

“The stress from high winds, combined with damage to the fabric, is hard on the tension membrane,” Campbell said when asked what he got from those reports. “And the older it is, especially if it is very advanced in its life, the tear strength decreases – essentially the resistance to the propagation of small cracks. Everyone in the industry knows that.”

According to the Rays’ 2024 media guide, Tropicana Field’s roof could handle winds of 115 mph. On Wednesday evening, the wind gusts reached a speed of about 170 kilometers per hour. However, Campbell noted that the methodology for measuring wind speed has changed since the stadium was built. That means it’s hard to say whether Hurricane Milton’s winds were stronger than expected.

Still, Campbell said he believes the roof, in new condition, was built to withstand the aforementioned 110 mph winds. It was initially designed to handle the weather it faced on Wednesday.

“Losing fabric doesn’t create a life safety scenario at all,” Campbell said. ‘It creates the potential for damage… It’s not really surprising that you’re trying to get by as long as possible. I cannot doubt that.”

The Rays said in their statement that it will take weeks to assess the damage caused by the storm. And therefore it is still too early to say how long this reconstruction project will take.

(Top photo: Miguel J. Rodriguez Carrillo/AFP via Getty Images)