St. Pete to Spend Millions on Stadium After Reducing Insurance Coverage This Year

Like a homeowner who cut back on coverage only to face catastrophic damage in a storm, St. Petersburg, Florida, city officials may be regretting some insurance changes after much of the roof of the Major League Baseball stadium was ripped to shreds in Hurricane Milton.

Local news outlets reported that St. Petersburg, home of the Tampa Bay Rays and the domed Tropicana Field, in March reduced the policy limits on the stadium from $100 million to $25 million. The reduction, along with a $22 million deductible, saved the city about $275,000 in annual premiums, WUSF public radio reported.

The adjustment came after insurance companies expressed concerns about the durability of the stadium roof in high winds and indicated that higher premiums were necessary, according to news outlets. But computer modeling used by city officials also suggested that a major storm probably would not cause significant damage to the roof, WFTS TV news reported.

Meanwhile, the city has filed a claim with its insurance carrier but it’s not clear if any indemnity will be available. The city’s risk manager noted in March that replacing the teflon-coated fiberglass roof could cost bout $39 million. But more recent estimates put the total damage to the stadium at more than $47 million.

Tony Leavine, executive vice president of Florida-based Brown & Brown Insurance, one of the largest insurance brokerages, advised the city on its coverage options, according to news reports. He could not be reached Monday. The public information officer for the city said that St. Pete has two policies with Special Risk Underwriter, as well as coverage with The Princeton Excess and Surplus Lines Insurance Co.; Axis Surplus Insurance Co.; Westchester Surplus Lines Insurance Co.; United Specialty; Underwriters at Lloyd’s; Ironshore Specialty Insurance; and National Fire and Marine, a Berkshire company.

St. Petersburg leaders now find themselves between a rock and a windy place: The city plans to build a new stadium for the Rays but the structure won’t be ready until 2028. Last week, the City Council agreed to spend up some $6.5 million in stopgap waterproofing measures to protect parts of the stadium while the roof is missing, the Tampa Bay Times reported.

“We need to act quickly to protect the building from further damage,” said City Administrator Rob Gerdes, according to the Associated Press.

Part of the appropriation will also create a temporary rain drainage system for the field, which, being under a dome, it never had. That could mean the Rays would be able to play at least part of the 2025 or 2026 season in The Trop – as an open-air park.

That also should help mitigate further losses and help the city comply with its duties under its insurance policy, St. Pete’s risk manager, Blaise Mazzola, said in a meeting.

But other issues remain, the Times noted. If Tropicana Field is not ready for the 2025 season, the Rays could be forced to find another site for games. The team could then sue the city for lost revenue and costs incurred, the newspaper reported.

Suggestions for a temporary Rays home have included local spring training sites used by the Phillies, Blue Jays, Yankees, Pirates and Tigers. A bit further away is the Rays’ own spring training complex in Port Charlotte, about 85 miles south of St. Petersburg. Another option may be the ballpark at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex near Orlando.

MLB sounded optimistic.

“We can make it work in a minor league park,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said during the World Series. “I think there’s probably some flexibility in terms of what we do with the big league schedule.”

Top photo: The Trop, the day after Milton blew the roof off. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)