[AlvinofDiaspar]

Has Rogers Centre now largely abandoned any hope of being used for anything except baseball? From what I can see, there is presently a grand total of one non-baseball event scheduled there, a concert in August 2020.
Up until a couple of years ago there would still be some Monster Truck and Disney On Ice type of things there during the winter.

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My sense is unless the act require a space that large, they'd gravitate to ACC instead.

AoD

 

[narduch]

Has Rogers Centre now largely abandoned any hope of being used for anything except baseball? From what I can see, there is presently a grand total of one non-baseball event scheduled there, a concert in August 2020.
Up until a couple of years ago there would still be some Monster Truck and Disney On Ice type of things there during the winter.

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I believe it partly has to do with changes they made to the baseball field (the dirt infield). This was used as the excuse for kicking out the Argos.

 

[gabe]

I remember seeing all kinds of shows and concerts at Sky Tent. Even when the ACC opened Sky Dome still got a lot of concerts.

 

[SubHuman]

I remember seeing all kinds of shows and concerts at Sky Tent. Even when the ACC opened Sky Dome still got a lot of concerts.

https://www.setlist.fm/search?page=22&query=SkyDome&venue=13d63df5
In recent years they stopped using any of the partially curtained-off configurations, and only used the full stadium.
It was never the greatest concert venue, but I thought the smallest, theatre-like seating arrangement they used in the first few years after it opened, with the stage at about the pitcher's mound or second base, made it better than an arena of a similar size like the CNE Coliseum.

I believe it partly has to do with changes they made to the baseball field (the dirt infield). This was used as the excuse for kicking out the Argos.

Part of the concrete floor was dug up to make the new dirt baseball infield some time in the last few years. From what I understand, they keep the 100 (field level) seating in the baseball set-up all or most of the time, but since then they have still used it for other events by placing metal plating over top of the troughs in the floor. I'm not sure how or why it would prevent non-baseball events there now, other than maybe no promoter wants to use it.

Scotiabank Arena is often busy five or six nights a week through the winter, while Rogers Centre is sitting empty for the entire six months of the baseball off-season. I would guess there might have been a private internal MLSE agreement that has Rogers Centre, after its pre-existing contracts for other events expired, being purposefully limited to only baseball and full-stadium concerts, so as not to be competing against the venues operated by the full MLSE (Rogers, Bell, Kilmer), as opposed to the stadium still solely owned by Rogers .

 

[ticky]

Everything I heard from a few people who work at the Rogers Centre suggested the current leadership didn't want any events in there beside baseball. I'm sure there has to be a logical reason for it because otherwise it just sits making no money for over half the year. There's no way Disney On Ice or Monster Jam would prefer Scotiabank Arena over the RC considering the size restraints for their show.

 

[Richard White]

Everything I heard from a few people who work at the Rogers Centre suggested the current leadership didn't want any events in there beside baseball. I'm sure there has to be a logical reason for it because otherwise it just sits making no money for over half the year. There's no way Disney On Ice or Monster Jam would prefer Scotiabank Arena over the RC considering the size restraints for their show.

They only want Baseball because of the dirt infield situation. They don't want the infield ruined by monster trucks, football or stages. Disney on Ice is not ideal there either now.

 

[SubHuman]

The Bell and Rogers purchase of 75% of MLSE was approved in August 2012.
On setlist.fm, it looks like the last time a concert was held there during the winter was December 2013. But full-stadium concerts have been there every summer since then, and apparently will be continuing to at least August 2020.

The last Bills NFL and soccer games there were also in 2013, and the last Argos season there was 2015.
The 12-inch deep cavities in the floor for the baseball dirt infield were made in February 2016, but this did not immediately stop all non-baseball events there, or prevent the 100-level seats from being shifted into the former football/soccer configuration during winter as it was subsequently used at least once. During winter, Supercross, Disney On Ice, and Monster Jam events happened there until January 2018 with the cavities in the floor covered with plywood and plastic, or "protective plates". Rogers Centre now appears to have been unused through the entire winters of the 2018-19 and now 2019-20 baseball off-seasons.

 

[Johnny Au]

They only want Baseball because of the dirt infield situation. They don't want the infield ruined by monster trucks, football or stages. Disney on Ice is not ideal there either now.

The Rogers Centre could have held the distinction of hosting regular-season games of all six professional North American sports leagues if it weren't for the fact that the Leafs played in BMO Field for an Outdoor Classic instead.

 

[SubHuman]

Everything I heard from a few people who work at the Rogers Centre suggested the current leadership didn't want any events in there beside baseball.

They only want Baseball because of the dirt infield situation...

There are (for the moment, anyway) six concerts scheduled there from May through September (during the scheduled baseball season), so obviously Rogers Centre is not a "baseball only" facility.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Everything I heard from a few people who work at the Rogers Centre suggested the current leadership didn't want any events in there beside baseball. I'm sure there has to be a logical reason for it because otherwise it just sits making no money for over half the year. There's no way Disney On Ice or Monster Jam would prefer Scotiabank Arena over the RC considering the size restraints for their show.

I saw a Phil Collins concert at the Dome and I recall the sound quality was awful.

 

[ShonTron]

I saw a Phil Collins concert at the Dome and I recall the sound quality was awful.

The only concert that I saw that made sense at the Dome was Roger Waters' The Wall, which required a gigantic stage that just couldn't be done at the ACC. The sound was not great, but you were there for the experience.

 

[Richard White]

The only concert that I saw that made sense at the Dome was Roger Waters' The Wall, which required a gigantic stage that just couldn't be done at the ACC. The sound was not great, but you were there for the experience.

The Rogers Centre was only practical as a concert venue prior to the opening of Scotiabank Arena. It is a cavernous venue with a domed roof that makes for very poor acoustics.

That and the field level renovations done recently make it an impractical venue for most concerts. I don't think Rogers wants any large stages there anymore to avoid ruining the dirt sections of the field.

 

[ADRM]

The Rogers Centre was only practical as a concert venue prior to the opening of Scotiabank Arena.

Depends on the perspective; if you're a concert-goer who cares about the quality of the sound, definitely, but if you're the manager of U2 or Coldplay (or whatever), you'd rather sell 65,000 tickets than 20,000 tickets.

 

[SubHuman]

... I don't think Rogers wants any large stages there anymore to avoid ruining the dirt sections of the field.

As far as I know, they have to refill the dirt part of the baseball infield in late March anyway (to get ready for the first Jays home game), so I don't see how that's what would be keeping the stadium empty and completely unused for the entire six month baseball off-season over the last two winters.
The ScotiaBank Arena is so busy over the winter with hockey, basketball, and concerts that it's often had events scheduled five or even six nights a week.
I only went to three concerts at SkyDome, but I don't recall the sound being any worse than an arena or other cavernous non-purpose built music venue, and I thought the seating arrangement was a little better than an arena. One of them only had about 6000 people there with the 500 level sections empty. They could probably set up something like this in October and leave it there until March.
TorontoPublicLibrary.ca image of SkyDome SkyTent arrangement

I think it would get some moderate amount of use, with the city's lack of an indoor mid-sized concert venue larger than 3200 seats (Meridian Hall) and smaller than the big arena.

 

[interchange42]

For those who like to tour grand mansions from the past and would be v visiting Casa Loma and/or Spadina House, there are soon to be a number of behind-the-scenes and infrastructural improvements to the latter:

Canada, Ontario and Toronto Invest Over $2.9 million to Revitalize the Spadina Museum National Historic Site​

August 05, 2021
Ministry of Infrastructure

TORONTO — The safety and well-being of Canadians are top priorities for the governments of Canada, Ontario, and the City of Toronto. Investments in Ontario’s infrastructure during this extraordinary time provide an opportunity to create jobs, economic growth, and make our communities more sustainable and resilient.
Today, the Honourable Carolyn Bennett, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Member of Parliament for Toronto—St. Paul's, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Federal Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Robin Martin, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Health and Member of Provincial Parliament for Eglinton—Lawrence, on behalf of the Honourable Kinga Surma, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure; Deputy Mayor Michael Thompson on behalf of His Worship John Tory, Mayor of the City of Toronto; and Jennifer McKelvie, City Councillor for Scarborough-Rouge Park, announced joint funding to rehabilitate the historic Spadina Museum.
The Government of Canada is investing over $1.18 million through the Community, Culture and Recreation Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing nearly $1 million, and the City of Toronto is contributing more than $790,000.
The project involves improving accessibility along the pathways leading from the street to museum entrances, meeting the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requirements. Other work on the exterior of the building will include weatherproofing and restoration of existing windows and doors.
Work will also include improvements to the interior of the museum’s garage, which include converting an existing office, kitchen, and car bay space into additional programming and rental space. New flooring, lighting, and a kitchenette will also be installed, while the second floor will be remodeled to accommodate increased programming. This includes renovating the existing staircase, washrooms, and kitchen facilities. Once complete, all patrons of the Spadina Museum, including those living with disabilities, will benefit from improved accessibility and better rental and programming space.
All orders of government continue to work together for the people of Ontario to make strategic infrastructure investments in communities across the province when needed most.