Kitsune
Senior Member
... there is just enough room to fit a new stadium south of the existing one... although a) It would require the removal of the Pump house and b) it would need to extend partly into the footprint of the existing stadium.
Toronto Rogers Centre Renovations | ?m | ?s | Toronto Blue Jays | Populous
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sixrings
Senior Member
then where would the blue jays play while that building gets constructed?
Kitsune
Senior Member
Would have to make the stadium open air for a year and do it like Cincinnati ...
I honestly would not be shocked if the upcoming renos future proof this scenario.
T.E.C.II
Active Member
Oh, really?
Such a weird, condescending take, on a site that talks about architecture, no less. Yeah, no kidding people want to watch the game when they go to the stadium, but stadiums also exist as attractions in themselves. It's why a supposed dump like Fenway attracts so many people to it. Even if the product on the field is less than exciting, you have the experience of going to the stadium, and its surroundings play a part in creating ambiance.
sixrings
Senior Member
I have long learned from these threads that although I may have interest in transit in this city it is nowhere near the interest of the general public. I may be interested in supertalls but a lot of people want to keep the single detached housing dream alive. And I will guess that just because there are people here who appreciate a view that doesn’t mean most are going to chose a view over ease of access. That isn’t condescending. It’s realistic.Oh, really?
Such a weird, condescending take, on a site that talks about architecture, no less. Yeah, no kidding people want to watch the game when they go to the stadium, but stadiums also exist as attractions in themselves. It's why a supposed dump like Fenway attracts so many people to it. Even if the product on the field is less than exciting, you have the experience of going to the stadium, and its surroundings play a part in creating ambiance.
As for places like Fenway or the old dump the Yankees played in. Those places have historic meaning which makes them special places. It’s why people in los Angela’s had a hard time leaving the great western forum to move to the staples centre. It is why the leafs had a hard time convincing people it was ok to leave maple leafs garden. There is a history there. The history and the winning nature of these clubs make an atmosphere. A view not so much.
Richard White
Senior Member
I wonder if eventually they will level Centerville and put a stadium there....
sixrings
Senior Member
I think this thread has lost its collective minds. Actually I think the jays have partially as well. Somehow people think a new field will magically fix the blue jays attendance woes. We are mid tier in attendance with a stadium surrounded by condos, walking distance from offices and union station. The argos thought that moving to bmo field would solve their issues. It hasn’t. And I’m sure that the jays will have similar issues if they move to no man’s land. Even if it has a spectacular view.
A winning team is what’s helpful in growing attendance. And a few years back I’d have to look but there was a study done showing how increased concession prices have negatively affected baseball games because they are longer than other sports. That should be addressed as well. But a view is not going to magically fix everything. People might go once to check it out but guess what when the skydome was new people went to check it out too. You have to win consistently to grow your fans.
C-mac
Senior Member
I'm sure they could have kept fixing up Maple Leaf Gardens and made it last another 20-30 years, but at some point, you have to get with the times, especially if you want players to want to player here. The reality is, it's still considered one of the worst stadiums in MLB sitting in a world class city. This wouldn't be a topic of discussion if people liked the stadium.
sixrings
Senior Member
Stadium wise there are three major problems with it. It has capacity for 55000 people yet we average half of that making the building feel empty. I used to live beside the stadium and had season tickets and realized it's very difficult to go to 81 home games a year even if I wanted to. The games are long and it's such a big commitment. Anyways the size of the stadium is a problem since it's hard to fill that many seats for so many home games in a sport that is not as hip as it used to be. The second stadium problem is the lack of grass. The players hate it and it causes injuries. Finally the third thing is that the building was designed to be a multi sport stadium so the seating lay out reflects that. This can be fixed on the main level where most fans choose to sit when the stadium is half capacity anyways. If the rogers centre was literally the same building scaled down to fit 30k and have grass with a proper seating layout to just baseball there wouldn't be these complaints.
But we are lying to ourselves if we think that we can fix all three of these issues by building a new stadium in no mans land and think that people will show up. I have a hard time believing any new stadium is going to make up for the ease of access to thousands of people in either condos, offices or close to transit. But I live in Mississauga now. So go ahead and build it out here. At least I'll benefit from a dumb decision.
C-mac
Senior Member
I think that's the part that makes it so difficult. While the stadium itself sucks, it's probably the best located stadium in baseball. I think that's the sticking point here. Rogers really wants a new stadium, but they want it the same place.
The other issue with the stadium, is even when the roof is open, you never really feel like your outside. You're in this concrete bowl. When you at T-Mobile Park, when the roof is open it's like you would even know you were is place where they can close a roof over it.
sixrings
Senior Member
If somehow they could just chop off level 300 and have only 100 and 200 left then I think it would be pretty close to as good as it can get.
C-mac
Senior Member
That would be awesome if that was possible. There's some pretty smart engineers out there, maybe they can figure out a way to do that...lol.
C-mac
Senior Member
I don't think there's a enough room there. I think they would have to do some sort of land swap with where roundhouse park is.
sixrings
Senior Member
Isn
Isn’t roundhouse park a heritage property. You can’t just knock it over
C-mac
Senior Member
I'm not sure, I'm just saying that's the only place I see room where the could do it, but that's why I'm saying they would have to figure out some kind of swap if that's possible. It's not like there's some historic building sitting on that land. Just old rail cars that can be easily moved.