Major League Baseball announced the privately funded overhaul Thursday, which it says is focused on modernizing the fan experience and building elite player facilities. “It’s been a long time coming,” Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro said in a presentation unveiling the changes. “When the fans come into the building next year, sit in those seats and the seats down, with the Canadian flag unfurled on the field behind us, it’s going to be a dramatically different vision, a dramatically different view and a different ballpark,” he said. Shapiro. . The first phase of renovations will begin in the 2022-2023 offseason, starting with the 100 level and 200 level outside. These seating areas will house what the Jays call new “social spaces” with patios, drink rails, bars and viewing platforms. Bullpens, where pitchers warm up, will be elevated and surrounded by new seating so fans can get even closer to their favorite players. Seating in the 100 level will also be moved to new outfield walls, bringing fans within touching distance of the pitch. On the 500 level, there will be two new social decks, similar to the existing WestJet flight deck, where fans can have a drink and mingle with other fans regardless of where seats are available. Also, every seat on level 500 will be replaced—something that hasn’t happened since the building opened. The upgrades aren’t limited to the fan experience. At field level, there are plans to build a family room for players’ families, a 5,000-square-foot weight room, as well as staff locker rooms. All of those projects will be completed in the offseason and will not affect the game of baseball, the club said. The team explained that the building’s exterior, turf modification and roof are outside the current scope of the renovation plans. The second set of renovations will begin in the 2023-2024 offseason and will include upgrades to 100 infield levels, premium club and field-level social spaces, and club and player facilities. Rogers Center opened in 1989 as the Sky Dome at a cost of about $570 million, or about $1 billion in today’s dollars, and was the first stadium ever built with a fully retractable motorized roof. Two years ago, a Globe and Mail report said the Jays and developer Brookfield Asset Management Inc. they were working on plans for a new stadium downtown. The Blue Jays later confirmed they were “exploring their options” regarding the future of the Rogers Center, but put work on hold amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As previously reported by TSN, the club believes the renovations, which will see architecture firm Populous at the helm, will extend the life of the stadium by an additional 10 to 15 years. Prior to Thursday’s announcement, the Rogers Center brought in a massive 8,000-square-foot videoboard ahead of the 2022 season that allows for an enhanced viewing experience for both fans at the stadium and those watching from home. With files from Chris Fox
