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

Translude15 said:
That's what I mean by missed out. The retro craze began 3 years after the Dome opened (1992), so yes, Toronto did miss out on it by virtue of timing. Had plans for a new ballpark been pushed back a number of years, something entirely different could have been constructed.
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As others have pointed out, It was envisioned as a multi-use facility so I find it unlikely the retro craze would have had any impact aside from minor cosmetic changes. The losers in the retro craze were the White Sox with a new, outdated ball park.
 
Others have said this but I think the dome gets more hate than it deserves. It was (and still is) an engineering marvel and is a truly unique park amongst a league of ballparks all vying for the same look (retro-classic), which is a good look, but in my mind just makes it "Cleveland's retro ballpark", "Detroit's retro ballpark", etc. When you see the dome, you know exactly where you are. The roof, the hotel, revolutionary. Iconic. (I also think it's a shame the Astrodome sits vacant and rotting)

I agree that it gets cavernous in there, especially when it's half full, but when it is full it may be the loudest stadium in the league.

If I were to make changes to it, I'd point the seats towards the infield, as mentioned, and I'd do something to the outside to make some of the more concrete bunker-looking sections of the exterior more friendly. And, as someone already said, bridge over the tracks to create more of a pedestrian connection to Front Street.

(Also, improve the concessions because goddamn we are by far the worst in the league in that category)
 
I really think they should have green vines over the concrete section. It would really liven the area up. The outside itself would be an attraction in the summer. Could do wonders for the waterfront area.
 
maestro said:
As others have pointed out, It was envisioned as a multi-use facility so I find it unlikely the retro craze would have had any impact aside from minor cosmetic changes. The losers in the retro craze were the White Sox with a new, outdated ball park.
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New Comiskey underwent a ton of renovations though and is a pretty good ballpark despite its flaws, the main one being how gigantic and uninviting it is.
 
The Rogers Centre has surprisingly clean washrooms for families and those with physical disabilities at the 500 level.

The ramps inside the Rogers Centre looks like the interior of an industrial warehouse, but with ads at the end of each ramp. It can be remade to have photos of past Jays greats on the sides of the ramps, rather than bare concrete.

Yes, I am a major contributor to the Rogers Centre Wikipedia article.

It would be good if the Rogers Centre sold Jays-branded binoculars. It is hard to see the action on the 500 level without them.
 
Translude15 said:
New Comiskey underwent a ton of renovations though and is a pretty good ballpark despite its flaws, the main one being how gigantic and uninviting it is.
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Looking at it now, it's difficult to believe that it once looked like this:

Mv9vUhc.jpg

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showt...The-New-Ballparks-Will-Age-The-Best-And-Worst
nDRKmdz.jpg

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=...QXdKKkdi0rrrvkEJUGidnfXQ&ust=1460041296510079

For comparison:

catch108stchs-20110715003449.jpg

http://aviewfrommyseat.com/venue/U.S.+Cellular+Field/122/

Also of note, the two ballparks in this picture had the same capacity:

oldandnewcomiskeypark1991-uscellularfield.jpg

http://ballparkhistory.com/viewBallpark.php?id=23

The highest row of seats in the upper deck of the old ballpark was closer to the action than the lowest row of the upper deck in the new ballpark.
 
I was only at that park once, in it's early days.......and my 1st thought was "it is Skydome without a roof"....when the wildest of midwest thunderstorms rolled in around the 4th innning I really wished it had a roof ;)
 
Red October said:
Looking at it now, it's difficult to believe that it once looked like this:

Mv9vUhc.jpg

http://www.baseball-fever.com/showt...The-New-Ballparks-Will-Age-The-Best-And-Worst
nDRKmdz.jpg

https://www.google.ca/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&ved=0ahUKEwi1zZ6FpPrLAhXDzoMKHcGGA9kQjxwIAw&url=http://www.baseball-fever.com/archive/index.php/t-74636-p-3.html&psig=AFQjCNEfq8QXdKKkdi0rrrvkEJUGidnfXQ&ust=1460041296510079

For comparison:

catch108stchs-20110715003449.jpg

http://aviewfrommyseat.com/venue/U.S.+Cellular+Field/122/

Also of note, the two ballparks in this picture had the same capacity:

oldandnewcomiskeypark1991-uscellularfield.jpg

http://ballparkhistory.com/viewBallpark.php?id=23

The highest row of seats in the upper deck of the old ballpark was closer to the action than the lowest row of the upper deck in the new ballpark.
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TOareaFan said:
I was only at that park once, in it's early days.......and my 1st thought was "it is Skydome without a roof"....when the wildest of midwest thunderstorms rolled in around the 4th innning I really wished it had a roof ;)
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Visited Comiskey for the first time in 1999 and again in 2007. There was a huge difference between both visits. I was last there in 2013 and they added a few more things namely a large White Sox team shop on the north end. Compared to the 1999 visit, the White Sox have really done a nice job making the stadium more intimate and inviting. Basic aesthetic improvements like changing the seats really helped as did removing the uppermost rows of seats. RC could really shrink capacity even further. You're practically in the stratosphere sitting in the uppermost rows of the 500 level anyways.

What the White Sox managed to do really gives me hope for the Dome. Evidently Rogers and the organization realize substantial improvements must be made to the place if the team is to position itself as a higher-end ball club, especially relative to our largest AL East foes. They're not going to stand idly and let it age into irrelevancy any further.
 
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There is too much concrete showing at the Rogers Center. The concrete needs to be painted white or something. More white trim everywhere. It will reflect the light in the stadium and brighten it up. If they could add some windows somewhere and bring the outside in more that'd be amazing too. A translucent roof would amazing too.
 
Aplus said:
If they could add some windows somewhere and bring the outside in more that'd be amazing too.
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the only problem with thath is all of the concrete in the stadium is structural. The roof weighs a lot as do the teires for the seats and then you have to add in the potential weight of guest in the seats.
 
From a purely pedantic perspective, I'm surprised they're illuminating the ads when a game isn't playing. I'm sure Rogers has no problem paying its electricity bill, but from a purely eco-friendly perspective...
 
Miscreant said:
From a purely pedantic perspective, I'm surprised they're illuminating the ads when a game isn't playing. I'm sure Rogers has no problem paying its electricity bill, but from a purely eco-friendly perspective...
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They probably want to make sure they all work properly, so they're trying them out before the home opener.
 
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