Rogers Centre's interior is now totally unrecognizable as the Blue Jays' stadium is gutted
The Toronto Blue Jays wasted little time after the team’s postseason came crashing down on October 4, and immediately launched into the next round of a $300 million multi-year renovation for the aging Rogers Centre.
Construction work commenced soon after the Jays dropped their AL Wild Card series versus the Minnesota Twins. Crews from general contractor PCL descended on the dome and got right to work on tearing out the 100-level seating to make way for a full reconstruction of the stadium’s lower bowl.
Rogers Centre interior now being demolished just like the hopes of Blue Jays fans https://t.co/NAMXMIEwbT #TorontoBlueJays #RogersCentre
ā blogTO (@blogTO) October 13, 2023
Approaching three weeks since the Jays’ season came to a disappointing end, the Rogers Centre’s interior now looks totally unrecognizable as demolition of the lower bowl continues at an impressive pace.
Blue Jays fan account @TBJLive on X has been tracking the renovation work and captured some impressive views of the demolition process over the weekend as crews removed the last of the lower bowl seating.
The last of the original 100-Level bowl #TBJLive pic.twitter.com/wFAb6qvYlM
ā TBJ Live (@TBJLive) October 22, 2023
Once the last of the seating was removed, work began on tearing away the supporting structure below, revealing bare concrete not seen by human eyes in over three decades since the lead-up to the stadium’s 1989 opening.
If you listen very closely, you can hear the faint sounds of āEverybody Clap Your Handsā ššššššššš #TBJLive pic.twitter.com/5pqJMhQE5R
ā TBJ Live (@TBJLive) October 23, 2023
The lower bowl will be fully demolished from foul pole to foul pole, then reconstructed in a new configuration that reduces foul areas and brings fans closer to the action ā a major step away from the venue’s roots as a multipurpose sports stadium supporting football and baseball.
The team ownership promises that the renovations will introduce a “modern ballpark experience designed specifically for baseball viewing.”
Fans will enjoy new seating similar to those introduced for the 500 Level in the 2022-23 off-season, offering added legroom, chairs with slatted backs for better airflow, adjustable armrests, and, perhaps most importantly, cup holders.
As for the old seating, Jays fans were shocked to learn that the original seats in place since the stadium’s 1989 opening were unceremoniously dumped in a scrap heap north of Toronto.
Pile of Rogers Centre seats spotted abandoned in a scrapyard near Toronto š² https://t.co/CuvY0X114R #Toronto #RogersCentre
ā blogTO (@blogTO) October 17, 2023
The current phase of renovations is targeted for completion ahead of the Jays’ home opener in April.
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