Ontario Construction News staff writer
The first phase of renovations at Toronto’s Rogers Centre were completed just in time for the Blue Jays home opener tonight.
PCL Construction launched construction on Oct. 14, 2022. The structural demolition took 35 days and approximately 21,000 worker hours and the new build started Nov. 14.
The Jays formally unveiled the first phase of the stadium’s $300 million renovation last week, including four new outfield districts.
The main focus of the phase one construction was the creation of the new outfield neighbourhoods, two of which are at the top of the stadium in the 500 level – the Corona Rooftop Patio and the Park Social.
Every 500 level seat has also been replaced for the first time since the Rogers Centre opened in 1989.
The two other outfield neighbourhoods – The Stop and the Catch Bar offer new park views as well as revamped food and drink options.
The second phase of renovations, scheduled to start when the baseball season ends, will be focused on the lower levels and behind-the-scenes facilities at the Rogers Centre, including a significant overhaul of the team’s clubhouse.
Blue Jays President and CEO Mark Shapiro says revamping the lower bowl will be daunting, but the completion of phase one is an exciting moment for the entire organization.
“Because all our research done was to ask our fans what would create a compelling experience, what kind of different ways would they want to experience watching [a game]? And they’ll begin to be able to do that on April 11 when we open the outfield district and play our first game of the 2023 season.
“We’re going to get our fans closer to our players – and probably closer to visiting players than they want, but that’s OK – and we’re going to allow them to connect with each other and with our fans in ways they never have before,” he said.
