The architectural home of the Toronto Blue Jays could be set to be a thing of the past.
Rogers Communications has set their sights on the demolition of Rogers Center, and a plan to build a new state of the art facility in Toronto’s downtown core. Ownership of the team is working on a deal with Ontario government to set forth a plan that would see the stadium costs be cut in half as a new redevelopment project.
The plan is to hopefully build a new stadium on the south end of where Rogers Center lays now, and have offices buildings and residential towers put up on the North end. It is also being reported that the organizers are considering the building of a stadium on the lake side. The renovation costs are most likely to be upwards of a few billion dollars, with Rogers and other owners, Brookfield Asset Management willingly taking on renovation costs.
Rogers Center has been the home of many enormous baseball moments for the Blue Jays. Originally named the Skydome, opening in 1989 as a $570 million project built by the city of Toronto. Rogers bought the domed stadium for a bill of $25 million in 2004.
Many will remember Jose Bautista’s game sealing home run in the seventh inning of the Jays’ divisional series against the Texas Rangers, the bat flip and all, a moment engraved in the hearts of not only Toronto residents, but Canadian Baseball fans nationally. Even through a television it felt as if Rogers Center retractable roof was going to blow off the place.
Historic.
A little longer ago, but still as relevant as it ever has been, Joe Carter’s walk-off home run in the 1993 World Series is probably the single greatest sports moment to ever take place in the city of Toronto, let alone in Rogers Center (Skydome at the time).
It is still a project that is being negotiated, but not necessarily “up in the air” as it seems likely that this process will begin once the details are laid out. Due to COVID-19, Rogers Center is likely to remain closed to the Blue Jays as long as the boarder is as well. So the demolition process could come in the blink of an eye.