It really seems like they're in a perfect trap.
The stadium is not a great baseball stadium but it is a very solid, functional building.
It's in an ideal location.
As the team just experienced, temporary relocation is not ideal.
There's no appetite for public funding.
A new stadium would cost, who knows, $2B? A proper reno would still cost hundreds of millions.

With the Argos gone and $250M on the table, I think they could go a long way to opening concourses, improving seating, recladding and otherwise making a lot of big and little improvements. It's not as ideal as a new stadium - but it probably makes the most sense for all concerned.


I know, that's the hard part.

If they can find a way to bring the walls down a bit lower, that would really help. The walls are so high, even when the roof is open you field like your in some concrete bunker, not baseball field.
 
In theory, if we're going all out here, I wonder if they can bash out some of the centerfield wall.
That would be glorious, to open it up to downtown.
 
I can't fathom why we would even want one.

8 home games per year (excluding playoffs) hardly seem like justification for that kind of investment.

I'm not even deriding the sport (though I admit I find the NFL roughly akin to watching paint dry)

Rather, I'm comparing the arguable payback/spin off vs the other pro-sports, as well as considering venue land area and cost.

I'd be happy to see us take a pass on the NFL

I don't watch the sport either but NFL TV ratings are up in Canada. Soccer is also like watching paint dry. But yet people watch it what ever reason.

I worked enough bars over the years, NFL game days always brought in more people than baseball game days, main reason there is so few games in the NFL. Baseball is such a long season.

 
Update: Looks like the new stadium idea is dead. There will be only a modest $250M spent on renovations.


Good, i would hate to lose the dome. Really the dome is in the perfect location for baseball. In my 30 years of going to baseball games and attending other events at Sky Dome, i have had to take a car. it's steps away from all transit stops.
And the nearby bars and restaurants and other businesses feed off the crowds going to the dome.
 
I don't watch the sport either but NFL TV ratings are up in Canada. Soccer is also like watching paint dry. But yet people watch it what ever reason.

Watching something for free and springing for the tickets are different things. The owners would have an enormous cost to recover.

Lets add, the NFL needs to be mindful of the health of the Buffalo Bills who depend on the southern Ontario market for a good deal of their revenue.

I worked enough bars over the years, NFL game days always brought in more people than baseball game days, main reason there is so few games in the NFL. Baseball is such a long season.

That's key though......which of those 2 mean more to a bar's year end financial performance; a full-house 16 dates per year; or a 3/4 full house 162 dates per year?

No question, the latter is a lot more $$$ in the pocket of the bar owners.
 
With $250M this seems like they're just extending the life for another 10-15 years while they plan something bigger in the long term.

Realistically, I can see seat replacements and the realignment of the 100 level concourse, with perhaps better integration of the 100 level outfield. Anything else would likely be for aesthetics.
 
Watching something for free and springing for the tickets are different things. The owners would have an enormous cost to recover.

Lets add, the NFL needs to be mindful of the health of the Buffalo Bills who depend on the southern Ontario market for a good deal of their revenue.

Isn't the whole point of owning a sports team (other then ego) that its valuation greatly increases because of the scarcity of teams. Pegula outbid MLSE/Bon Jovi group and Donald Trump for the Bills for 1.4 billion in 2014. The team is now worth 2.27 billion according to Forbes. Least valuable team in the NFL but still more valuable than the Leafs or Jays. If MLSE had bought it and moved it to Toronto the team would be worth between 3 - 4 billion. I have to imagine MLSE regrets not going harder for the team.

I don't think the NFL cares about hurting the CFL anymore or hurting the Bills. They have let teams move. They have had PR disaster after PR disaster. The fans and media moan about the NFL all the time. With all that said the league seems to be more popular then ever.
 
Isn't the whole point of owning a sports team (other then ego) that its valuation greatly increases because of the scarcity of teams. Pegula outbid MLSE/Bon Jovi group and Donald Trump for the Bills for 1.4 billion in 2014. The team is now worth 2.27 billion according to Forbes. Least valuable team in the NFL but still more valuable than the Leafs or Jays. If MLSE had bought it and moved it Toronto the team would be worth between 3 - 4 billion. I have to imagine MLSE regrets not going harder for the team.

The NFL does not permit corporations to own NFL teams; as such MLSE could not be an owner, nor could Rogers. Only private individuals are permitted to be owners.

***

The Buffalo Bills value is predicated on relocation and sale; it's an illusory number if you wish to keep the team there; it's also only sustainable because NY State and the City of Buffalo are looking shovelling out upwards of 1.8B USD for a new
stadium for the bills.

A number that would surely require the team remain in Buffalo for large number of years.

Note that the financial obligations on a Toronto owner would surely be greater given vastly more expensive real estate and more expensive construction costs a well.

You're likely looking at 3B CAD, before any expansion fee/franchise purchase cost.

***

The NFL, if it expands, may well be looking adding 8 teams, that would reduce the scarcity value some.

Aside from which, the Chargers are not bringing in the $$ in LA.......so they may be a relo.
 
With $250M this seems like they're just extending the life for another 10-15 years while they plan something bigger in the long term.

Realistically, I can see seat replacements and the realignment of the 100 level concourse, with perhaps better integration of the 100 level outfield. Anything else would likely be for aesthetics.

Yeah, is $250M really enough to do any major renovations?
 
With $250M this seems like they're just extending the life for another 10-15 years while they plan something bigger in the long term.

Realistically, I can see seat replacements and the realignment of the 100 level concourse, with perhaps better integration of the 100 level outfield. Anything else would likely be for aesthetics.
Truthfully all I care about is them updating the Bremner frontage/streetscape. Would it kill them to activate it with with bars, restaurants, a beer garden? Create a destination to go before and after the games? Get the Design Review Panel on this!

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