Rogers Centre exterior is looking worse for wear despite $400M renos inside
Thirty-five years since the Rogers Centre opened as the then-SkyDome, the stadium’s interior is hardly recognizable through hundreds of millions of dollars in investment carried out in two phases during the last off-seasons.
However, while the telecom giant that owns the stadium and the main tenant, the Toronto Blue Jays, continue to pour money into the fan-facing experience, the broader public is noticing a troubling lack of upkeep outside of the dome.
The anonymous X account ‘Toronto Poles and Dangling Wires’ — which highlights the sorry state of private and public-facing infrastructure in the city — shared a series of photos to the platform captured from just west of the Blue Jays’ box office along Bremner Boulevard.
The photos show missing windows, peeling paint, and heavily rusted elements of the exterior next to Gate 9A. Photos are joined by a caption noting how much attention has been given to the dome’s refreshed interiors while its forward-facing areas that don’t require a ticket to experience are left to decay.
Much hoopla about the improvements to the field and seats at the Roger’s Centre (nee SkyDome). I assume that there will be improvements outside too. But in the years leading up to this how much does it cost to put a cost of paint on this? pic.twitter.com/xXRDVlJ3RN
— Toronto Poles and Dangling Wires (@PolesWires) April 24, 2024
One commenter took that sentiment a step further, saying, “renovation done to areas where they can maximize profitability, not to the areas that require actual maintenance lol.”
Maintenance! Nobody can cut a maintenance ribbon.
— Andrew Sullivan (@anvilwalrusden) April 25, 2024
A representative of the Toronto Blue Jays tells blogTO that while the ballpark’s exterior was not included in the scope of renovations, the organization completes capital projects around the facility annually that contribute to upkeep. Still, the team acknowledged that its budget is focused on amenities that improve the experience of fans.
This is not the first time that areas outside of the stadium have been neglected. In 2023, photos of the iconic Salmon Run fountain at Bobbie Rosenfeld Park sitting dry, covered with graffiti, and filled with litter sparked outrage over the state of public parks in the city — though this space is not maintained by Rogers.
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