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

Who is responsible for the grounds around the Rogers Centre and CN Tower? I feel like this is a space that could use more colour. Look at Camden Yards:

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I think this is the type of tiling that would vastly improve what is currently such a drab space. Even the bridge is kind of bland:

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To me, it doesn't feel as grand an entrance as it should be. For such grand structures, the space feels uninspiring.

I know some of you have probably seen these, but these post apocalyptic Toronto renderings given an idea of what a glass dome might look like:

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T.E.C.II said:
Who is responsible for the grounds around the Rogers Centre and CN Tower? I feel like this is a space that could use more colour. Look at Camden Yards:

I think this is the type of tiling that would vastly improve what is currently such a drab space. Even the bridge is kind of bland:
Click to expand...

Well ideally, the first course of action in creating an open outfield space/entrance would be decking over the railway tracks similar to the Oxford proposal and then getting rid of the hotel.
 
@T.E.C.II , here's how the bridge looks during the summer.

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It's not quite so drab as the pic you found!

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The bridge is actually pretty nice; it just needs some pavers and nicer railings. As for the hotel; how about removing it, and opening up the stadium to the outside? Perhaps a new, larger hotel could be built on the western wedge-shaped parcel that MetroMan mentioned?
 
No they can't.

Rogers only own the baseball part of the stadium. The hotel operator owns it's part and the Crown own the land the building sits on.
 
I'm sure whenever, or if, they replace the artificial grass inside the Rogers Centre, they could reuse the plastic grass by laying it on the bridge or other concrete areas around it. Or better, use on the Queens Quay streetcar right-of-way.

RCGrass.jpg
 
I think we can hope for improvements to the dome (transparent materials etc.) but what are the chances of snow load being an issue for anything too ambitious?
 
Honestly what's the point of a glass roof, when its nice outside it can open ... there are so many better ways 400 million can be spent and improving the public realm outside the stadium should be key !
 
I think people want a glass roof for the times when the dome isn't open. It can feel stuffy when the dome is closed.

I think the grass field, and dirt infield will be a huge upgrade. But I think they should change up the lighting. Night games always look too bright. I don't know if that's due to the lighting system, or how the light hits the turf, but it lacks the sense of intimacy found in other ball parks, where the lights are low in the stands, and the field is lilt up like a stage.
 
The main thing that needs to happen around the skydome is:

- Farmer's market on days when there aren't games...or various events happening in the area, especially on the west side - community oriented when no games are happening
- More seating (especially on west side)
- Cover up the concrete/replace it with nicer materials
- More entertainment outside before games (bands, face painting, etc.)
- Make Bremner a one way street, with significant traffic calming from Navy Wharf to Simcoe
- Potentially make Blue Jay way also one way with significant traffic calming from Front south
- Put a deck over the railway and put more meeting up locations, food and improve the pedestrian/greenspace experience from BlueJay way across to Ripleys (a park over the railway would be awesome!)
- Have all busses park in the parking lot directly across Bremner (not on Bremner) - don't let cars park there - create an exit onto Lake Shore directly and close the entrance on Bremner
-
 
I believe the Rogers centre at least has good bones to work with for a reno, compared to a place like BC place which had a very plain looking stadium that needed a huge costly roof upgrade to bring it back to life, atleast skydome has an interesting designed roof to work with.
 
georgevicbell said:
The main thing that needs to happen around the skydome is:

1- Farmer's market on days when there aren't games...or various events happening in the area, especially on the west side - community oriented when no games are happening
2- More seating (especially on west side)
3- Cover up the concrete/replace it with nicer materials
4- More entertainment outside before games (bands, face painting, etc.)
5- Make Bremner a one way street, with significant traffic calming from Navy Wharf to Simcoe
6- Potentially make Blue Jay way also one way with significant traffic calming from Front south
7- Put a deck over the railway and put more meeting up locations, food and improve the pedestrian/greenspace experience from BlueJay way across to Ripleys (a park over the railway would be awesome!)
8- Have all busses park in the parking lot directly across Bremner (not on Bremner) - don't let cars park there - create an exit onto Lake Shore directly and close the entrance on Bremner
-
Click to expand...

1: Lots of Farmers markets in the area. Metro Centre has one, Union station (now) kinda has one, there are even booths set up along bremner (though I'm not sure if they are there on non game days). This does nothing to add to the game day experience which is kind of what we are trying to do.
2: More seating? If anything I'm looking at ways to reduce seating in the stadium, 40 000 to 45 000 should be the capacity they aim for.
3: Agree. Brick facade? Climbing Vines?
4: They have actually done a good job at bringing the game ops people out onto the street to interact with people on the way in, as well as some vendors selling souvenirs, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays there is usually something organized in the plaza on the west side
5: Not down with reducing bremner, however...
6: I'd support closing Blue Jay way from Spadina to the hotel (would need to keep access to the hotel open) as well as that small street, Navy Wharf Crt to vehicle traffic
7: Agree
8: I thought the buses do park across from bremner, however they stop along Bremner to drop off an pick up their people. Not sure how you fix that.
 
Woodbridge_Heights said:
1: Lots of Farmers markets in the area. there are even booths set up along bremner (though I'm not sure if they are there on non game days). .
Click to expand...

The CityPlace Farmers Market takes place along Bremner (Concord Adex Presentation Centre) on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
 
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