the arena was built as a new home for the lightning after the club outgrew the older, smaller expo hall at the florida state fairgrounds. prior to the opening of the ice palace, the lightning moved to the florida suncoast dome, which was nicknamed the "thunderdome," in st. petersburg, florida, joining the tampa bay storm, in 1994. upon the completion of the ice palace, both the lightning and the storm, moved in. the thunderdome, now named tropicana field, is currently home to major league baseball's tampa bay rays.