Can the Tampa Bay Rays replace their stadium's torn roof next season?

The owners and tenants of Tropicana Field, devastated by Hurricane Milton, face a short five-month window before the heavily damaged home of the Tampa Bay Rays is ready for MLB games.

Hurricane Milton Strong winds on Wednesday night Almost the entire roof was ripped off Outside St. Petersburg-owned Tropicana Field, which was supposed to be used by workers responding to the storm.

While rescue and cleanup efforts in the Tampa Bay area are still a priority, the city of St. Petersburg is far from making a decision on how to repair the crumbling stadium, officials said Friday.

“The city will work with the Rays to determine the best options after the assessment of the situation is complete,” council member Gina Driscoll, whose district includes Tropicana Field, said in a statement to NBC News on Friday.

A representative for Ray could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.

The prospect of installing a new roof at Campo Tropicana comes at a difficult time for the local government, which is already committed to building a New Ray Stadium in time for the 2028 season.

So whatever is invested in Tropicana Field now, the Rays will only use for three more seasons.

A more apt comparison to conditions at Tropicana Field might be the December 11-12, 2010 blizzard in Minneapolis. tear down Metrodome roof.

that is The cost is about $18 million At that time, the Minnesota Vikings had to repair the roof in July of the next year. Given inflation and the added cost of rushing to get Tropicana Field ready for a 2025 opening, a direct replacement could cost at least double the Metrodome's bill.

But California-based structural engineer Emily Guglielmo said she believes St. Petersburg and Beam could be a lower-cost option to consider.

“We live in this era of rapid technological change in this space,” said Guglielmo, chairman of the American Society of Civil Engineers Seismic Committee and a member of the group’s panel on aviation safety.

“So I expect a lot of different manufacturers to come forward with interesting products that they want to consider.”

As soon as footage of the outdoor Tropicana Field suddenly hit the news, many engineers, architects, and contractors across America and the world likely rushed to their drawing tables.

“I think very soon there will be a very interesting, innovative and economically driven conversation about what opportunities there are for quick and cheap but safe replacements.” Guglielmo said.

The 2025 season is scheduled to be played at home against the March 27 Colorado Rockies Rays.

A representative for the company that installed the stadium roof, Geiger Engineers, did not return messages from NBC News seeking comment Thursday. A representative said Friday that the company would not discuss the matter.

But in Dr.'s interview with The New York Times, a senior Geiger Engineers official was seen blaming stadium owners and operators for the roof collapse.

Geiger Engineers director David Campbell told the newspaper that the roof had “exceeded its intended lifespan”. The Trop's roof fabric has a 25-year lifespan, he said. Campo Tropicana opened to the public in 1990 and still maintains its original roof.