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

[Richard White]

I was just thinking about this in the Ontario Place sub forum, someone mentioned potentially putting a ballpark for the Jays over there.
That got me thinking of what could we use the Dome for other than baseball and I noticed how close it is to the convention centre. Does anyone think there could be a realistic use for large conventions?Could it be used for live demonstrations and built up for a fake lake?
I don't know how realistic the idea would be, but it can be one way we keep the iconic skyline dome alive while repurposing it for another large need we have, to hold bigger and more diverse conventions.

That poster was me

If they can use stadiums as churches in the US they can surely use them for conventions. The problem is that you would need massive conventions to do so and have them all watching the same presentation.

With 45 thousand seats it would need to be something akin to World Youth Day to make it viable.

Realistically though you need to knock down some of the older buildings at Ontario Place anyway as they were designed for other uses (think the maze and water slide) and since decommissioned. This leaves space for a stadium if done right. It would be a great place for a stadium IF it is domed. The problem with Exhibition Stadium was the openness that lead to things like the snowed in jays games and Dave Winfield taking out a seagull.

 

[gabe]

Jays attendance will probably drop like a rock over the next few seasons, i wonder if this will change any of Rogers Centre renovations plans?

 

[Richard White]

Jays attendance will probably drop like a rock over the next few seasons, i wonder if this will change any of Rogers Centre renovations plans?

Can't be any worse than the game where they had just over 10,610 people in April 2010.

If attendance does sink like that again they may end up firing Shatkins..

 

[Johnny Au]

Attendance would plummet further if Shapkins were to trade Vlad Jr.

Good thing Vlad Jr. is ours for now, but who knows?

 

[Johnny Au]

If the Jays were to move out, then the Rogers Centre could be repurposed for cricket, monster trucks, and the Fan Expo. Yes, the Rogers Centre hosted exhibition cricket before.

 

[PinkLucy]

It has also had monster trucks

 

[JMSRead]

I'd love for the Jays to build their own PNC park in the Portlands or at Ontario Place, but the trend in baseball stadiums for years has been to move closer to downtown. And the way the city has grown around the dome, they probably have one of the best central locations for a stadium in the league. It would be tough to give that spot up (not even factoring in that they don't own the land under the dome).

 

[Johnny Au]

It has also had monster trucks

I know, right.

...and circuses too, both the Cirque du Soleil kind and the Ringling Bros. kind.

 

[Johnny Au]

I'd love for the Jays to build their own PNC park in the Portlands or at Ontario Place, but the trend in baseball stadiums for years has been to move closer to downtown. And the way the city has grown around the dome, they probably have one of the best central locations for a stadium in the league. It would be tough to give that spot up (not even factoring in that they don't own the land under the dome).

I would like a roof like either Miller Park in Milwaukee or the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta or a combination of the two.

 

[TrickyRicky]

The City subsidy on Atlanta’s stadium rose from an initial projection of 200 million to 700 million! What’s another 500 million for taxpayers in a City smaller than Toronto!

 

[Automation Gallery]

Could definitely help everything along, but I wonder if that's a good thing.

I can't imagine Rogers building quality condos.

No?..look over to Mississauga...just maybe it might happen here?

One idea floated by a political insider is that Rogers Communications could try to jump into the city’s discussions around Rail Deck Park, an ambitious project that would cover the railway tracks from Bathurst Street to the west and Blue Jays Way to the east with a park. The project is still in its infancy stages, but it’s believed the city would need investments from the private sector in order to complete it….
https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/08/23/could-development-factor-into-rogers-centre-renovations/

 

[syn]

I had no

No?..look over to Mississauga...just maybe it might happen here?

One idea floated by a political insider is that Rogers Communications could try to jump into the city’s discussions around Rail Deck Park, an ambitious project that would cover the railway tracks from Bathurst Street to the west and Blue Jays Way to the east with a park. The project is still in its infancy stages, but it’s believed the city would need investments from the private sector in order to complete it….
https://ballparkdigest.com/2018/08/23/could-development-factor-into-rogers-centre-renovations/

I had no idea they were involved with this project. I'd have no issue with Rogers investing as long as quality architecture is a priority.

 

[MetroMan]

The square on the west side of the SkyDome is fenced off. Some heavy equipment is on site. Could this be the Maple Leaf Square equivalent that was discussed?

 

[ADRM]

The square on the west side of the SkyDome is fenced off. Some heavy equipment is on site. Could this be the Maple Leaf Square equivalent that was discussed?

Yeah, was by today -- the closure actually extends all the way up the west stairs up by the bridge.

They've also got some small diggers in a pretty sizeable area fenced off on the SE corner of the building -- I think they're just replacing the pavers there to bring the style in-line with the pavers they've laid down along the north side of the stadium.

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

The Oakland A's are getting a Bjarke Ingels