Toronto Rogers Centre Renovations | ?m | ?s | Toronto Blue Jays | Populous

[T.E.C.II]

There's a profile/interview piece on Bob McCown in the Globe where he talks about a plan he pitched to the federal government over a decade ago for a 'stadium district' at Downsview.

I'm not a fan of his or the idea but it's interesting to read about nonetheless.

"Backed by a friend, a former pro sports owner with access to tens of billions of dollars of capital, he pitched the federal government on a development that would use the entire Downsview Airport site in the north end of Toronto for a new stadium district. It would include a baseball stadium, an arena for a second Toronto NHL team, a football stadium for an expansion NFL team, a high-performance sports school, a large central park, retail, and housing for 60,000 residents. Oh, and a monorail to service the entire, carless property. And a moat – for sailing in the summer and skating in the winter, with Tim Hortons placed every mile or so, for hot chocolate pitstops. They drafted Moshe Safdie, the iconic Montreal architect perhaps best known for Expo 67′s Habitat apartment project; so what if he’d never designed a stadium before?"

Here's a link to the full, paywalled, article. Warning, it contains Bob McCown.

Bob McCown determined to move on from Rogers and put Toronto ‘on the map’

Podcasts, wineries, documentaries and more – Bob McCown has big plans

www.theglobeandmail.com

Those plans sound ridiculous.

 

[MisterF]

Bob McCown is ridiculous.

 

[SubHuman]

Regardless of his usual bluster, self-promotion, and the unnamed alleged friend with billions of dollars who was going to back his project (), I am not sure when and exactly where this would have been.
"the entire Downsview Airport site "? -- In the article: "But after Bell Media and Rogers Media teamed up to buy Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment in 2011, a second Toronto NHL team seemed unlikely."
The Downsview Airport land was not put up for sale until late 2017, and by Bombardier, not the federal government.
I suppose he could have meant other parts of the Downsview Park area now occupied by the 4-rink hockey complex, and 7-field Toronto FC Training Ground and Academy which was announced in April 2011, with the Bell and Rogers intention to buy MLSE announced in December 2011.
The Downsview Airport land is such a huge area now with GO Train and TTC subway stations that it could conceivably include some kind of large sports or entertainment attraction, in addition to all the inevitable condos and retail. I just don't know what would make sense to be there instead of being downtown or at Exhibition/Ontario Place.

Edit: Also remember McCown said quite correctly on his show for decades that Toronto was not getting an NFL team, so it seems strange that he woud have supposedly been part of this plan that involved getting one.

 

[Richard White]

The Downsview Airport land is such a huge area now with GO Train and TTC subway stations that it could conceivably include some kind of large sports or entertainment attraction, in addition to all the inevitable condos and retail. I just don't know what would make sense to be there instead of being downtown or at Exhibition/Ontario Place

That's just it. Look at the Ottawa Senators who have their rink in Kanata.

If you make it far from the city it will be less attractive vs watching on TV. Nobody will travel to the boonies to watch a game when they can do so at home.

 

[jayme2016]

That's just it. Look at the Ottawa Senators who have their rink in Kanata.

If you make it far from the city it will be less attractive vs watching on TV. Nobody will travel to the boonies to watch a game when they can do so at home.

There is nothign around the rink in Kanata you have to drive 5 mins to go to the Centrum.

 

[TheTigerMaster]

Water under the bridge now, but it would’ve been neat if the CN Tower light show synchronized with the Skydome

 

[JMSRead]

Bob can be ridiculous but I loved listened to him. I think he's a master broadcaster. Either way, I happened to listen to an episode of his podcast where he talked about this proposal, and apparently Paul Beeston (former Jays president) was involved. So I guess there was at least some legitimacy to it, even though I do agree it's kind of silly. I think Downsview would be a terrible baseball park location but it would be fine for an NFL stadium if we ever get one.

 

[Johnny Au]

Bob can be ridiculous but I loved listened to him. I think he's a master broadcaster. Either way, I happened to listen to an episode of his podcast where he talked about this proposal, and apparently Paul Beeston (former Jays president) was involved. So I guess there was at least some legitimacy to it, even though I do agree it's kind of silly. I think Downsview would be a terrible baseball park location but it would be fine for an NFL stadium if we ever get one.

...especially given that NFL games are played at home eight times a year, not including the playoffs.

This would also present an opportunity for Toronto to have a Super Bowl-ready NFL stadium next to Downsview Park station, but it is best that taxpayers should not foot the bill. Whoever owns the Toronto NFL team would obviously be a billionaire and can afford it, especially if personal seat licences were sold to season ticket holders wanting extra.

 

[jayme2016]

...especially given that NFL games are played at home eight times a year, not including the playoffs.

This would also present an opportunity for Toronto to have a Super Bowl-ready NFL stadium next to Downsview Park station, but it is best that taxpayers should not foot the bill. Whoever owns the Toronto NFL team would obviously be a billionaire and can afford it, especially if personal seat licences were sold to season ticket holders wanting extra.

Building a stadium would be risky?

 

[Johnny Au]

Building a stadium would be risky?

That explains why it takes so long for the Rays and the Athletics to get new stadia (and even the Rays plan to play half their home games in Montreal in 2028 at the earliest).

 

[Transportfan]

That explains why it takes so long for the Rays and the Athletics to get new stadia

Gotta love the formality on UT!

 

[NIV]

-Home plate should face the lake, not Bloor st.
-100 level seats are moveable, rotate them 180 degrees.
-Turn the hotel into press boxes and skyboxes.
-Remove 500 and 200 level stands from south wall. Convert wall openings into sliding glass panels.
-Install real grass

get ready for opening day 2022

 

[T.E.C.II]

- Just build a new stadium.

 

[downtownordinary]

-Home plate should face the lake, not Bloor st.

Major League Stadiums purposely orientate home plate away from south so that the batter doesn't have sun in their eyes when at the plate. This diagram of all MLB stadiums shows that none of them facing directly south or west:

https://imgur.com/0tsrxu7

so changing direction is pretty much a non starter.

 

[NIV]

Major League Stadiums purposely orientate home plate away from south so that the batter doesn't have sun in their eyes when at the plate. This diagram of all MLB stadiums shows that none of them facing directly south or west:

https://imgur.com/0tsrxu7

so changing direction is pretty much a non starter.

Clearly mlb rule 1.04 is not adhered to.
Rogers center would have to rotate southern roof panel during afternoon games to alleviate this problem. This is the advantage these other ballparks don’t have.