What would it take for the Jays to get a new baseball only park???

[Triple M]

I can't see the public being eager to foot any of the bill but what happens if Jays ownership plays the threaten to move card???

I don't foresee that happening as there has been minimal talk of a new stadium and the current plan seems to keep renovating the stadium.

However, I can't see the current park lasting for much longer because it is already one of the older facilities but does the planned renovation extend the Rogers Center for another 15-20 years???

I find myself more interested in trying to envision potential site for a new ball park, whether it would need to remain multi purpose or designed as a baseball only, whether it would be an open air or roof building, etc.

I'm not sure if there is much available land to build a new ball park in downtown Toronto so I guess they would have to tear down the rogers center and replace it with a modern building or are there other options in Missagua or Downsview.

I could see a new park that makes financial sense instead of keep renovating the current building especially if the costs of doing so will match what it would cost for a modern facility.

Overall, I just want to envision how a new building would look 15 to 20 years down the line, if it takes that long, potential sites, if it will be an open air or roof stadium, and any other issues that will hold up a new building.

[s e n s i]

this discussion inevitably happens here once a year and i think one thing most of us are in agreement on is that the current site is the absolute best site for a stadium in this city. if rogers centre has one thing going for it, it's the location - right downtown, south of the entertainment district, easily accessible via transit but still enough multi-lane roadways surrounding it so that it's not a total nightmare driving to the game. most stadiums in the league are well-located but if you wanted to build another park in toronto (which will need a retractable roof), there is little hope of it being as convenient from an entertainment/accessibility standpoint than where it is today. a tear-down and replace would be great if there was another MLB-calibre stadium around to temporarily accommodate the team. there isn't though.

sadly, we're stuck with dome and have to hope the renovations help it age well. getting rid of the hotel is one idea i've read floating around, exposing the north side to some open air. how that would even be possible, no idea. but more details on the planned renos should be released soon and i'm actually looking forward to what they are.

[dagger]

The team has already announced its intention to spend a vast sum of money - over $100m - on upgrading and modernizing the Rogers C. So this is a moot possibility.

[JaysRule15]

Yeah, I can't imagine ever finding a place better than where Rogers Centre currently is. New land in downtown Toronto is pretty much impossible due to costs and the fact that there isn't much left anyway. Going outside downtown would really hurt attendance imo. When the time inevitably does come for a new stadium, the team would probably play elsewhere while Rogers Centre is rebuilt. Maybe Montreal?

tbh, Rogers Centre isn't even that bad when there's a great crowd. Noise carries well and the dome really helps due to the unpredictable weather we get here. Let's see how much life we can get out of it by renovating it. I wish management had kept their promise of installing a grass playing field, would've given the stadium some more legitimacy.

[sule]

Can you imagine the crowds for this team during those down years when we weren't winning and had no nope of making the playoffs year after year outside of occasional September runs for a wild card spot?

Instead of the 23,000 or whatever the Jays were bringing in, they'd have been pulling in like 15,000 (or maybe less) if the stadium wasn't so convenient and central.

Renovations should be fine as long as the plan is to slowly transform this stadium into something resembling a new one, where the last step is renovating the outside or at least changing it to look like something else from the exterior.

[s e n s i]

always think what could've been had they planned construction of the dome a few years later. the retractable roof was ahead of it's time and the structure of the dome had to be designed as such to move that many tons of metal back and forth with the technology they had, so it's tough sometimes to ask why the place had to be so concrete and cavernous.

imagine something like safeco, chase field, minute maid (without all the stupid quirks), or miller park instead of the clunky dome? those parks weren't built until a decade after the dome opened though -- well after the retro park became the way to go. the dome is certainly not a pretty park but that's totally owed to the time in which is was built. a whole lot of other buildings in toronto were built around the same time (late 80s) that are eyesores today.

either way i'm content with it. again the location is great, the sightlines from most seats aren't bad, and we never have to worry about getting rained out. hopefully the renovations include making the place more aesthetically appealing or closer to a true ballpark feel.

[metafisical]

Are people not going to go to Blue Jays games because the Dome is or is perceived to be an eyesore? Honestly, as long as the team is successful, who cares if the Dome looks like a dirty toilet? As long as the team does well, people will come and watch the game, and the state of the Dome will be the last thing on people's minds.

No one is willing to pay for a new Dome. That being said, I think they should get rid of the hotel and replace it with a casino. The Government of Ontario profits because gaming revenues go to government, Rogers gets rent money from it, and the City of Toronto gets a share of the net profits. Everyone wins.

[SharoneWright]

Nothing happens until someone takes out Domer.

[Wo1verine]

Move the team to Montreal for the next 4-5 years + until the next stadium is built downtown!

Seriously though - At some point they'll will need a brand new park it will be interesting to see the direction they go once that time comes.

[dennistokyo]

just install real grass and we're fine.

[Duffman100]

The only viable space for the Jays stadium is the Dome and you can't tear it down and rebuild in a single calendar year...especially not with our weather.

Sort of screwed. I wish it was more open air like BMO.

[Geddy]

The only land available would be in the east port lands, but that area is undeveloped and doesn't have good access via transit.

Another option would be to build a stadium in Roundhouse Park but the architects would have to get creative in order to work with the limited space they would have.

[hyper316]

Rogers own the team and skydome, why would they threaten to move?

[So_Fresh]

would love to see it happen in my lifetime... Downsview Park would be my second choice. A 5 minute drive for me to get there. That would mean more Blue Jays games for me to watch live! lol.. Not to mention all the new developments and new subway station opening in that area.

[JaysRule15]

Rogers own the team and skydome, why would they threaten to move?

When it comes time for a new stadium 20-25 years down the line, I could definitely see Rogers threatening to sell the team to an American owner if they can't get public funding for a new stadium. Very doubtful Rogers is single-handedly coughing up the billion+ dollars that a new stadium would cost by then.

[Lateral Quicks]

They'd need at least $500M for the stadium, plus the cost of acquiring the land, plus the cost of disposing Rogers Centre. Not going to happen for a long while, I'm afraid.

Personally I think the Dome would be a lot more palatable with natural light. I don't know how feasible it would be, but if they could add some transparent elements to the roof it would be a huge improvement. Removing the hotel and replacing it with restaurants/bars/patios and a transparent backing would also be a big improvement. The other thing they can do regardless of these other ideas is to install better surfaces/textures/colours. Give the stadium a warmer air, instead of the bathroom appliance ambience it current has, especially with the roof closed.

[hsb]

I don't really care either way, just don't put it in the city. Real estate is too valuable for a clunker the size of a baseball stadium. Go to a willing suburb like other teams. Living in NY - I appreciated Citi Field and Yankees Stadium not being in Manhattan.

[C Court]

I am interested to see what Rogers can do with a significant stadium refurbishment. The dome is great and keeps attendance strong during bad weather in April and September.

[Geddy]

I hope we don't reach a stage in the future where they have to keep the roof closed permanently due to old age of the roof and mechanics.

[ldnk]

The ACC was built privately. I'm not convinced that rogers wouldn't do the same. As cheap as we might call them they do put a lot of money into the team.