Major changes could be coming to the SkyDome Rogers Centre, as the Toronto Blue Jays' owner seeks to build a new baseball stadium.
As first reported by the Globe and Mail, the owner of the Blue Jays wants to demolish the Rogers Centre and construct a new stadium as part of a downtown Toronto redevelopment.
READ: After 30 Years, Rogers Centre Deserves Better Than Demolition
According to the Globe and Mail, Rogers Communications Inc. and the real estate arm of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. are working with government officials at all three levels on a plan that would "effectively cut the Rogers Centre in half."
The multibillion dollar renovation would be privately funded by Brookfield and Rogers, according to the report, but needs numerous government approvals to move forward.
The Globe and Mail report, released Friday, revealed that the partners would build a new, "baseball-focused" stadium on the foundations of the southern end of the current facility and adjacent parking lots, while the northern portion of the 12.7-acre site would be turned into residential towers, office buildings, stores, and a public space.
As per the report, Rogers is also considering building a new stadium on a lakefront site if plans for the Rogers Centre fall through.
This mixed-use development would add to the already growing CityPlace district -- a large stretch of former railway land between Bathurst and Rees Street just south of Front Street.
The stadium, with its retractable roof, first opened as the SkyDome in 1989 and previously served -- at different times throughout its 30+ year history -- as a host for both the Toronto Raptors and Toronto Argonauts. The stadium was renamed to the Rogers Centre in 2005.
For the first time since its opening, the Jays did not play their home games at the stadium this season, as the team played their games in Buffalo due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, the team has been playing at Sahlen Field, the home ballpark of Toronto's Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons.
