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The Jays unveiled details of the project Thursday afternoon, with team president Mark Shapiro holding a media availability to discuss how the club plans to “modernize the fan experience” and build “facility facilities of world-class players”.
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July 28, 2022 • 1 hour ago • 3 minutes read • 11 comments Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro revealed the team will spend $300 million over the next season to renovate the Rogers Center into a sports last generation entertainment facility in Toronto, Ontario. on Thursday, July 28, 2022. Photo by Jack Boland /Jack Boland/Toronto Sun
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Rogers Center is getting a major renovation.
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The 33-year-old home of the Toronto Blue Jays will undergo a $300 million renovation by Rogers over the next two seasons, starting this winter.
The Jays unveiled details of the project Thursday afternoon, with team president Mark Shapiro holding a media availability to discuss how the club plans to “modernize the fan experience” and build ” world-class player facilities.”
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From this off-season the aim is to create multiple new social spaces with patios, railings, bars and viewpoints on levels 100 and 200 of the building. In addition, elevated bullpens surrounded by traditional and new grandstand seating will be installed, along with social viewing areas facing the bullpens “to increase fan-player interaction.” Level 100 seating will also move forward into the new outfield walls to move fans right above the action and there will be two new social decks in right and left field. Eventually, all of the original 500-level seats will be replaced with larger, more comfortable ones. The club will then build a 5,000 square foot weight room for players and staff, build staff locker rooms and a new player family room. All of this work is scheduled to be done in time for Opening Day 2024.
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Some will be done next spring, including new areas to gather and watch the game and work on the 500 level. Also, Shapiro teased the “unique angles and heights of the fences” on the field. Could we see a blue monster? They are still working on these details.
“It’s going to look radically different next opening day,” Shapiro said.
The building originally known as the SkyDome had not undergone a major renovation since it opened in 1989. Soon after, the Jays played there in the playoffs against Oakland and then against Minnesota two years later and hosted an All-Star Game Major League Baseball, before back-to-back World Series victories. . The Jays have spent dollars and prospects trying to get back to playoff status and a recent report also said ownership hopes to bring the All-Star Game back to Toronto in 2027.
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Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro revealed the team will spend $300 million next season to renovate the Rogers Center into a state-of-the-art sports entertainment facility in Toronto, Ont. on Thursday, July 28, 2022. Photo by Jack Boland /Jack Boland/Toronto Sun
Shapiro said Thursday that this is not the long-term solution and that a new stadium will eventually be needed in 10-12 years, but it will be a big improvement for players and fans for years to come. Building a completely new stadium is an immensely complex process. But Shapiro noted that the building was built as multipurpose, but now 27 MLB parks are baseball-specific. Those alterations will “really make this stadium into a stadium” and “modernize the fan experience,” Shapiro said.
In the 2023 offseason, the project will focus on work on the 100-level infield, field-level premium club and social spaces and clubhouses and player facilities. Shapiro said the facilities were starting to “fall behind” those of other clubs, which may affect whether free agents decide to sign in Toronto or whether existing players want to stay. Once completed, Shapiro says the player facilities will be top-notch and the area for players’ families will be the “best in all of MLB.”
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The Rogers Centre’s exterior, turf and roof are not part of the current renovation plans. Shapiro said that’s because the $300 million had to be used in the “highest-impact areas.”
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There is a huge shortage of premium space at the park and that will also be addressed, although that work could stretch into a third off-season.
Shapiro said capacity would be reduced with the completion of the project, but would still be north of 40,000.
Populous, which partnered with the Jays to create a sparkling new player development complex in Dunedin for spring training and offseason work, did the architectural design.
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