Blue Jays plan to transform concrete stadium into a true ballpark
Published
TORONTO — From a multi-use stadium with far too much concrete into a ballpark.
That’s the goal Toronto Blue Jays president/CEO Mark Shapiro had in mind when envisioning and conceptualizing the $300-million renovation project Rogers Centre will undergo over the next two winters, allowing the 33-year-old facility still affectionately known as SkyDome to live on for about another decade.
At that point, we may be talking about plans for a brand new ballpark, but that’s now well down the road and this renovation — one that will take place in two stages — will not only buy the franchise time to sink its teeth into that project but also immensely improve fans’ ability to watch a contending ballclub over the next few years.
“It was, and still is, an engineering marvel,” Shapiro said of the stadium that first welcomed Jays fans way back in 1989. “But that era was about multi-purpose stadiums. Symmetrical, homogenous, meant for multiple sports.
“This is a medium-term solution. It will be dramatic, it will be meaningful, it will change fan experience and it will change player experience. It will modernize the stadium, but we still need to have a long-term solution at some point. That’s an extremely complex project and something we’ll look to undertake. Immediately, when we finish this, we’ll undertake that, as well.”
The upcoming changes are significant and much more than just lipstick on a concrete pig.
Phase one this winter — completed in time for opening day 2023 — will focus on the outfield areas and building a new 5,000-square-foot weight room in the bowels of the stadium for the players.
In the winter of 2023-24, the renos will shift focus to the infield areas and field-level club seats, in addition to the clubhouse areas and player facilities.
Here are five notable changes fans can expect to see:
Changes to outfield wall
The most noticeable change fans are going to encounter is a new outfield wall with fans right up against the action, as you currently see in most MLB ballparks. Home runs will no longer float aimlessly into the lower-level storage area. Instead, every Vladdy Jr. bomb should be a souvenir with the changes. While Shapiro didn’t want to give away specifics on the outfield wall height and dimensions just yet, they will be changing. The outfield will no longer be uniform, making for a more unique look and perhaps an interesting nook and cranny or two for outfielders to deal with.
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Raised bullpens
Just past the outfield wall, the Jays are continuing the baseball-wide trend of raising the bullpens to give fans a unique view of relievers warming up. Bleacher-type seats and viewing areas will surround that action. In Shapiro’s estimation, that will help give Jays fans a good look at Jordan Romano warming up for the save, while also giving home fans more opportunity to “discourage” opposing relievers when they’re attempting to get ready to enter a close game.
New bars, patios and viewing spots
Say goodbye to the 500-level seats that Jose Canseco first reached more than 30 years ago. From foul pole inward, both sides will be blown out and turned into patio-type areas for fans to congregate and mill about in without assigned tickets, according to Shapiro. One side will be more of a family-friendly area, with the other side more bar-style for fans looking for more of an adult party atmosphere. The club will also be replacing every single 500-level seat — all original seating from 1989 — with bigger, more fan-friendly chairs and railings. There will also be multiple drink rails, bars and viewing platforms dispersed through the 100 and 200 level areas.
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New amenities for players
With the club’s sparkling new player development complex in Dunedin as the blueprint, the Jays will also be adding a new 5,000-square-foot weight room this off-season. Essentially, the bowels of the stadium along the clubhouse level will be gutted and groundskeeping equipment shuffled out to give players and their families a more comfortable experience. From a family lounge to all sorts of player recovery technology, the Jays are continuing their trend of investing in sport science to improve play on the field.
2023-24 changes
Depending on how things go and the inevitable construction delays that occur with any project, this phase could stretch into the 2024-25 off-season, Shapiro noted. While designs and full scope are still in progress, the meat of the project involves changes to the 100-level infield, field-level premium club seating, as well as new clubhouses and facilities for both teams. Those plans will be unveiled as they take shape in the coming months and years. The architectural design firm Populous — the same group the Jays worked with on the Dunedin complex — is leading the entire project.
Toronto Blue Jays