This is the design of the Canadians' big expansion of Nat Bailey Stadium

This is the design of the Vancouver Canadians' major expansion of Nat Bailey Stadium

Artistic rendering of Nat Bailey Stadium's new right-field building expansion. (Francl Architecture/Vancouver Canadians)

The Vancouver Canadians are set to provide Nat Bailey Stadium with one of the single largest building expansion and improvement projects the baseball stadium has seen in its 72-year history.

A newly submitted development permit application shows the detailed design and scale of the new additional grandstand building on the right-field side of the stadium — at the northwest corner of the ballpark.

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Currently, this large fenced-off grassy area is used for the Telus BBQ Picnic In The Park — a premium experience at ground level, configured with picnic tables.

Existing condition:

nat bailey stadium telus bbq picnic in the park 1

Existing Telus BBQ Picnic in the Park in the right-field area of Nat Bailey Stadium. (Vancouver Canadians)

nat bailey stadium vancouver canadians stadium expansion

Existing condition of Nat Bailey Stadium’s right-field area with picnic seating. (Francl Architecture/Vancouver Canadians)

Future condition:

Artistic rendering of Nat Bailey Stadium’s new right-field building expansion. (Francl Architecture/Vancouver Canadians)

The new building will replace this picnic footprint to provide new replacement purpose-built home team locker, training, support, and coach rooms, as well as batting and pitching tunnels, which will be visible to the public from the parking lot side behind large windows. The main entrance into the training facilities will be through the first base entrance, and players will also have direct access to the field in two locations along the first base fence.

On the rooftop of the new building, just above the dedicated indoor spaces for training and team operations, there will be new spectator seating areas to replace the previous premium picnic area.

This includes three spectator open-air seating areas on the second rooftop level, four club seating sections with seating for groups of 12 to 28 spectators on the lower rooftop, and an area with tables and an open space designated for temporary bar and food service on the middle rooftop, which is the only outdoor area on the new rooftop grandstand with a rigid roof for protection from the elements.

Artistic rendering of Nat Bailey Stadium’s new right-field building expansion. (Francl Architecture/Vancouver Canadians)

It is noted that the new rooftop grandstand will not increase the stadium’s total spectator capacity, but reduce it slightly. The existing picnic area has a capacity for 400 spectators, while the replacement rooftop capacity will be 329 spectators, representing a net capacity loss of 71 within the former picnic footprint.

This is a significantly larger structural expansion than the Canadians’ last grandstand expansion about a decade ago, when they added very slender grandstand structures on the left-field and outfield sides of the ballpark — at the southeast corner of the venue. But that previous expansion increased the stadium’s overall capacity by about 750 spectators.

Designed by Francl Architecture, the new building’s materials are said to complement the existing stadium colours of neutral greys and baseball graphics, and the adjacent Hillcrest Community Centre and its contemporary design.

Existing condition:

Existing condition of Nat Bailey Stadium’s right-field area with picnic seating. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Artistic rendering of Nat Bailey Stadium’s new right-field building expansion. (Francl Architecture/Vancouver Canadians)

This new grandstand expansion is driven by Major League Baseball’s (MLB) recently implemented new player facility requirements for the Minor League Baseball (MiLB).

In February 2021, the Canadians announced they had accepted a 10-year professional development license with MLB to be the High-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. This means that the Canadians’ season would now consist of 132 games — an increase from the previous 76 games per season. Half of these games will be played at the team’s home field of Nat Bailey Stadium.

The MiLB league structure changes also included new stadium requirements for all MiLB teams, including new standards for clubhouse/locker rooms, training facilities, equipment rooms, female umpire facilities, and weight rooms. Such changes are necessary for the Canadians to remain compliant with MLB’s new MiLB venue standards.

Additional development permit applications that will be submitted later this spring are expected to focus on building a temporary clubhouse outside of the stadium, and other renovations to player clubhouse and locker facilities, which are also triggered by MLB direction. No changes will be made to the stadium’s vehicle parking capacity, which will remain at 920 vehicle parking stalls.

Existing condition:

nat bailey stadium vancouver canadians aerial

Aerial of Nat Bailey Stadium’s existing condition. (Google Maps)

Future condition:

Site plan of Nat Bailey Stadium’s new right-field building expansion. (Francl Architecture/Vancouver Canadians)

The total cost of all forthcoming expansion and improvements projects for Nat Bailey Stadium over the coming years is expected to be about $20 million. But in an internal memo to the Vancouver Park Board’s commissioners earlier this year, Park Board staff state it is unclear how the full scope of this work will be funded. The memo states the Canadians have asked the Park Board to collaboratively work with the franchise to create a funding solution for the capital improvements, which could include seeking funding from other more senior levels of government.

The memo notes the Canadians have agreed to cover the full cost of performing basic repair and maintenance projects, including the most urgent aspects of life and safety, within the current lease extension term ending in 2028.

The 1951-built, 6,500-seat Nat Bailey Stadium is owned by the City of Vancouver, and the franchise’s current lease for the venue is under a 2007 contract, which provided an initial term of five years, plus options for four five-year renewals. The entire life of the lease spans up to 25 years through 2032.

The Canadians were acquired by Diamond Baseball Holdings in Spring 2023, which was also when the fourth renewal term for their stadium lease took effect. Diamond Baseball Holdings, owned by US-based equity firm Silver Lake, owns and operates more than two dozen MiLB franchises across Canada and the United States.

Last year, shortly after they announced Rogers had acquired the sponsorship naming rights of the stadium’s field, the team’s leadership suggested there are “state-of-the-art renovations on the way for the historic building.”

Nat Bailey Stadium (Vancouver Canadians)

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