Jays offer glimpse of new Rogers Centre seating

Article posted by Coliseum, December 4^th, 2023

Image: Toronto Blue Jays

Major League Baseball’s Toronto Blue Jays have given a sneak preview of ongoing renovations to the Rogers Centre’s 100-level seating bowl.

Now Toronto said the baseball team posted a video of the renovations on X saying, “From a stadium to a ballpark, second phase of Rogers Centre renovations are underway!”

The 49,286-capacity Rogers Centre is a multipurpose retractable roof stadium in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the Northern shore of Lake Ontario. It was opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands.

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The Blue Jays are undertaking the first large-scale renovation the Rogers Centre has implemented since it opened in 1989.

As part of the second phase of renovations, the 100-level seating bowl and structure was fully demolished at the end of the 2023 season to create a modern ballpark experience.

The Jays said, “Fans will enjoy a dramatically new 100 level seating bowl experience, in addition to the three new premium clubs and seating sections previously announced in April.”

The new 100-level seats will have additional legroom, slats on the back that provide more airflow, wider seats between the dugouts, cupholders throughout, adaptable raisable armrest options, and handrails in every aisle.

Designed specifically for baseball viewing, the renovations will have all the seats oriented toward the infield, improved sightlines with less obstruction and new seats closer to the field as a result of the remodeled bowl structure.

Now Toronto further stated that this second phase of renovations is set to be completed by the team’s Home Opener on April 8, 2024.

Outlining how the works had progressed, the Jays said the structural demolition of the lower bowl took place from October 13 to 26, with 29.5 million pounds of materials removed and recycled in 13 days. This included 26.5 million pounds of concrete and three million pounds of steel.

To help with the excavation, a temporary bridge was installed over the site of the former seating bowl. At the peak of the excavation work, 10 excavators were on site with 344 trucks moving in and out of the centre over the temporary bridge in one day.

The Blue Jays said an average of 350 workers have been on the site daily, which represents more than three times the number of workers compared to phase one demolition.

As for the new additions, the first structural steel column was put up on November 13. The Blue Jays say a total of 2.4 million pounds of structural steel was fabricated off site and will be installed at the Rogers Centre to finish the project.

Major renovations on the 34-year-old stadium in downtown Toronto began after the 2022 season. Originally designed as a multipurpose venue that has previously also been home to the NBA’s Toronto Raptors and the Canadian Football League’s (CFL’s) Toronto Argonauts, the renovations are designed to make the venue baseball specific.

The team announced the $300 million-plus, multi-phase privately funded renovation of the Rogers Centre in July 2022 and said work would be completed between 2024 and 2025.

The first phase was rounded off ahead of this year’s season, complete with a new Outfield District with five distinct neighbourhoods and social spaces for everyone who has a ticket.

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