Rogers Centre surprises all of Toronto with major unexpected exterior upgrade
The Rogers Centre is undergoing its most extensive transformation since opening in 1989, a $300 million multi-year renovation that will breathe new life into Major League Baseball’s seventh-oldest ballpark.
And as that renovation presses on, a huge surprise of an exterior upgrade was just revealed.
Construction work has been carrying on outside of public view, under the stadium’s massive retractable dome, though the team has treated fans to the occasional glimpse of the ongoing gutting and renewal of the former SkyDome, along with a tease of the new fan experience it will bring.
But new photos and videos emerged on Tuesday evening, revealing a big change to the stadium’s exterior in the form of new colour-changing lighting, which the team says is just a bonus addition, entirely unrelated to the massive overhaul happening under the dome.
The @RogersCentre got a lights upgrade and put on a bit of a show š pic.twitter.com/EPNSu6fDkB
ā Peter Little (@peter_little_) December 21, 2022
Videos reveal that the new lighting cycles through a full spectrum of colours, turning the aging concrete stadium into a canvas for eye-catching light shows.
Big update: it changes colours šÆ The damn Grinch has taken over @RogersCentre !!! pic.twitter.com/QQat3uxLfh
ā Connor Nielen (@ConnorNielen) December 20, 2022
A Toronto Blue Jays representative confirmed to us that “last night, we tested new exterior LEDs at Rogers Centre that can light our roof with unlimited colours,” though the organization stresses that the new LED setup is unrelated to the broader stadium renos.
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The wide range of vibrant hues brings limitless opportunity for colourful displays, though the team states that it “will continue using our standard blue for the time being but are excited about the versatility these options provide our building.”
The first appearance of the roof illumination setup sure seemed bright based on photos that show the glowing roof’s hues reflecting off of the surrounding glass condo towers.
ā Jake Scudder (@SidelineScudzy) December 21, 2022
It is a new source of light that likely had area residents confused and is already spurring jokes on social media.
The people around @RogersCentre after the new LED lights got installed.#Toronto @BlueJays #Skydome pic.twitter.com/pm2iCNcKBi
ā James Jordan (@thisisdjjd93) December 21, 2022
As for the stadium’s interior, contractor PCL recently provided an update that offers perspective on the immense scale of the revitalization work thus far.
Demolition work was carried out over 35 days this fall across 21,000 work hours, requiring an average daily crew of about 110 operating six days per week.
During that time, a whopping 2.2 million pounds of materials have been recycled from the stadium, including 1.3 million pounds of concrete and 900,000 pounds of steel and metal.
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