Via Sportsnet The Toronto Blue Jays have revealed renderings for the first phase of their upcoming Rogers Centre renovation, a $300-million, privately-funded project that will begin this off-season.
While the full renovation will impact nearly every part of the stadium’s interior, including a full overhaul of the 33-year-old building’s lower bowl, this winter’s work will focus primarily on Rogers Centre’s outfield.
The ballpark’s bullpens will be raised from the field of play and surrounded by both traditional and bleacher seating, as well as viewing platforms that will allow fans to watch relievers warming up to enter games. Several new fan congregation areas will be added around the 100- and 200-level, while outfield seating closest to the field will extend forward to the ballpark’s realigned walls.
The club’s renderings depict a bar in the right field corner and seating within the outfield walls. Along the 500 level, where the current seats have been untouched since the building opened in 1989, two new social decks will overlook the left and right fields.
Originally, the Blue Jays envisioned splitting the renovation over two off-seasons, completing around 30 percent of the work this winter and the final 70 percent in the winter of 2023-24. But the club is now framing the project as one that will be “phased over the coming two to three off-seasons,” suggesting some work could spill over to the winter of 2024-25.
The current Rogers Centre is the laughing stock of baseball. I am sorry if you are a fan but it is. The Rogers Centre is like Epcot at Disney, it was cool in the 90s and outdated in 2022. It’s not a ballpark it is a concrete spaceship-looking place. The retractable roof is probably the only cool thing about it.
Thank GOD they are dumping 300 million into a complete overhaul of the inside of the ballpark. The renderings look INSANE.
My question is are they going to install real grass? The turf is bull shit and I am 99% sure if Milwaukee can have real grass so can Toronto.
Now the kicker, when will this be done? It is looking like it is going to be phased over the coming two to three off-seasons, suggesting some work could spill over to the winter of 2024-25. Look like we are stuck with the Epcot for another couple of seasons folks.
My only request. Loonie Dog Tuesdays never go away. I probably had 15 when we went on our company outing.
LONG LIVE THE LOONIE DOG!
