ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — From the Tampa Bay Rays unsolved future to a stadium ravaged by hurricane damage, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding Tropicana Field. Employees’ livelihoods hang in the balance too.

The team was always going to have to play somewhere else during the construction of the new stadium, but think about what St. Petersburg would be like with Tropicana Field or the Rays altogether.

“What does Fergs look like? What do all the other bars down there look like? What? An empty hole?” said Michele Dyson. “If the Rays don’t want to stay, and you fix the stadium for them, what attendance will we have?”

Dyson has worked at Tropicana Field for the last 10 years. Not as a player, or someone in the front office, but she says she and others are the faces of the ballpark.

“I’m creating the experience of why they come there. So does the kitchen, so are the housekeepers, so are the fan hosts, so are everybody. The fish tank people, the bucket guy, he depends on the Rays to be there,” said Dyson.

She is worried about the future.

Dyson attended Tuesday night’s county commission meeting, where the main topic was a letter sent by the Rays accusing the commission of ending the 2028 deal. The letter is not legally binding and does not override the current agreement.

The St. Petersburg City Attorney said the city is contractually obligated to fix the Trop and get the Rays back there as soon as possible.

Those against the deal argued wanting more for taxpayers, said it wasn’t a good deal to begin with, and thought the county and city should focus on recovering from the hurricanes and restoring beaches.

“St. Pete Clearwater is still shining,” said Brian Lowack, the President and CEO of Visit St. Pete Clearwater. The group was at the Sheraton Sand Key Wednesday night, hosting some of Brazil’s largest tour operators and travel agents. The goal was to show how the beaches have recovered and how the area is back open for business.

“In the wake of the storms, on media and international media is images with the Trop with the roof off, the cranes through buildings, and as you can see, that is totally not the truth here anymore,” said Lowack.

The roof is still off of Tropicana Field. The beaches have cleaned up significantly, but there is still more that needs to be done.

8 On Your Side asked the CEO his take on how this deal with the Rays impacts tourism.

“I would say that the board of county commissioners, they are the ones that are going to make those decisions, in conjunction with the city of St. Petersburg. And whatever the outcome is, we’re going to continue to highlight all the great things that make St. Pete Clearwater America’s Best Beaches,” said Lowack.

Money from the deal with the Rays cannot be used for other Pinellas County projects. Dyson said she hopes everyone involved in this deal considers everyone at risk.

“It’s more than just a stadium, it’s a home for a lot of us. Downtown is thriving because of it,” said Dyson. “What are we going to do? We aren’t million-dollar ballplayers, we’re hourly employees. That’s the truth of the matter.”

Dyson was under a concession company that contracted with Tropicana Field. She said the Yankees stadium uses a different company so she couldn’t transfer. She also isn’t getting a severance package.

St. Petersburg city council is expected to meet Thursday to discuss the damage report on the Trop.