TrickyRicky
Senior Member
Slap up some barn board, inappropriate lighting, and lack of proper signage. Instant contemporary upgrade.
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isaidso
Senior Member
Sure but I don't think Torontonians are all that attached to the Skydome. If one day another stadium rises in that same spot I'd be fine with it. Skydome isn't iconic in the way that the CN Tower is.
If we can tear down Varsity Stadium, a structure with far more charm and historical significance that Skydome, we can certainly take this one down one day.
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max
Active Member
Why should any of us? I haven't seen a dime they paid for the naming rights so until Rogers decides to hand me a large bag of cash, it's SkyDome for me too!
TheSix
Active Member
Hmm, I disagree, I'd argue the Skydome is just as historically significant as the CN Tower.
At its time, it was a world marvel, the first retractible arena with an attached hotel looking into the field. Yes, stadiums around the world are now more technologically advanced, but that doesn't erase its incredible history and example to Toronto of the benefits of innovation. Much like the CN Tower (which is no longer the tallest free standing structure).
Translude15
Frank the Tank
For anyone who has a subscription to the Athletic, here's an article by Andrew Stoeten from April re Dome renovations:
https://theathletic.com/283699/2018...inating-over-renovations-will-cost-blue-jays/
There's some pretty intriguing stuff in his article, namely this piece towards the end about what a renovated Dome would look like:
Perhaps that's obvious, given the talk about extending the building's life by 30 years, but what would that even look like?
A source with knowledge of proposals made by an architectural design firm working with the Blue Jays on the project told The Athletic it would be a “dramatic reconfiguration.” For example, one consideration is to rotate the entire field clockwise. In this scenario the Flight Deck would now sit along the left field line, and when the roof is open the CN Tower would be in view as backdrop for fans sitting behind the plate. The giant video scoreboard that's now in centre would remain, helping to break the too-symmetrical cookie cutter nature of the current setup. To that end, the fence line in this reconfiguration could change to have a bit more “real ballpark” character, and the area that would become right field might become an open concourse — something that is perhaps made possible by the fact that there is still room on that side of the building to expand its footprint to the east. (The source adds that, were they to do this, much would need to be done to reconfigure the roof for sunlight/shadow reasons, but tells me that there is a solution for this.)
Rotated field or not, not only does reconfiguring and upgrading the building's seats seem to be a given (having all seats actually face the action on the field would be a huge improvement), but openness seems the order of the day, whether that be more patio spaces like the ones at Petco Park in San Diego, or simply by widening concourses by expanding the building outward and removing seats. Interestingly, the source adds that another large part of the plan involves making the Dome a destination that can generate revenue during the offseason. This doesn't mean more Monster Truck rallies, but by making the Dome a destination people go to when the Jays aren't playing. For example, one of the things that was pitched was to open/run local restaurants throughout the 200 level to give the ballpark a more “Toronto” feel.
Shapiro and Co. have presented multiple proposals to Rogers ownership, with varying price points. It's up to ownership to decide which direction the renovation will go. Rotating the field's orientation as well as the roof's would be incredibly interesting. Any worthwhile renovation will likely cost upwards of $500 million. That is no small amount of money but in my mind, that kind of reno would absolutely transform and reinvigorate the stadium. Points made about eastern expansion and developing land around the Dome seem to coincide with Davidi's recent article about creating "destination areas" in the vicinity as well.
https://theathletic.com/283699/2018...inating-over-renovations-will-cost-blue-jays/
There's some pretty intriguing stuff in his article, namely this piece towards the end about what a renovated Dome would look like:
Perhaps that's obvious, given the talk about extending the building's life by 30 years, but what would that even look like?
A source with knowledge of proposals made by an architectural design firm working with the Blue Jays on the project told The Athletic it would be a “dramatic reconfiguration.” For example, one consideration is to rotate the entire field clockwise. In this scenario the Flight Deck would now sit along the left field line, and when the roof is open the CN Tower would be in view as backdrop for fans sitting behind the plate. The giant video scoreboard that's now in centre would remain, helping to break the too-symmetrical cookie cutter nature of the current setup. To that end, the fence line in this reconfiguration could change to have a bit more “real ballpark” character, and the area that would become right field might become an open concourse — something that is perhaps made possible by the fact that there is still room on that side of the building to expand its footprint to the east. (The source adds that, were they to do this, much would need to be done to reconfigure the roof for sunlight/shadow reasons, but tells me that there is a solution for this.)
Rotated field or not, not only does reconfiguring and upgrading the building's seats seem to be a given (having all seats actually face the action on the field would be a huge improvement), but openness seems the order of the day, whether that be more patio spaces like the ones at Petco Park in San Diego, or simply by widening concourses by expanding the building outward and removing seats. Interestingly, the source adds that another large part of the plan involves making the Dome a destination that can generate revenue during the offseason. This doesn't mean more Monster Truck rallies, but by making the Dome a destination people go to when the Jays aren't playing. For example, one of the things that was pitched was to open/run local restaurants throughout the 200 level to give the ballpark a more “Toronto” feel.
Shapiro and Co. have presented multiple proposals to Rogers ownership, with varying price points. It's up to ownership to decide which direction the renovation will go. Rotating the field's orientation as well as the roof's would be incredibly interesting. Any worthwhile renovation will likely cost upwards of $500 million. That is no small amount of money but in my mind, that kind of reno would absolutely transform and reinvigorate the stadium. Points made about eastern expansion and developing land around the Dome seem to coincide with Davidi's recent article about creating "destination areas" in the vicinity as well.
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JasonParis
Moderator
Which may be exactly what is in vogue in 100 years. You have no idea at this point what will be considered "timeless, quaint, and old timey" in 2089. None of us do, and few would have predicted Boston or (north) Chicago's parks 100 years ago.
Richard White
Senior Member
Well.. assuming WWIII has started at that point we can use the Rogers Centre as a bunker.
T.E.C.II
Active Member
Oh, so all we have to do is wait a 100 years for the stadium to become a classic baseball destination. Great.
Richard White
Senior Member
Look, everything has its day and not always does it age well. Take Maple Leaf Gardens. It is a national treasure and a still an important piece of both Canadian and Hockey History but when it closed in 1999 it was akin to your local rink. It was not capable of hosting hockey on a major league scale anymore. Sure you could host an NHL game there but he facility was dated and not able to keep up with times hence why they built the ACC. The Gardens were 68 years old at that time.. can you imagine what the Rogers Centre will look like in 68 years?
Just because something is vintage does not mean it is ideal for sustained use.
Irishmonk
Senior Member
Fenway Park and Wrigley Field never went out of vogue. That's why they're still standing.
T.E.C.II
Active Member
Kind of sounds like we're actually on the same page.
Translude15
Frank the Tank
You're comparing apples to oranges here. The Gardens and all other vintage NHL/NBA arenas were typically constrained in their revenue-generating abilities due to 1. lower seating capacity, 2. lack of adequate private boxes and 3. smaller footprints. Point 3 made any attempts to expand these arenas next to impossible, hence why all Original 6 teams gradually moved to larger, more modern venues. You couldn't expand MLG's seating capacity if you tried.
Classic ballparks like Fenway and Wrigley may be 100+ years old but both have undergone extensive renovations and modernization to meet current standards, although some believe both parks are still inadequate. They are also both capable of generating additional revenue beyond ticket sales i.e. premium revenue via club seating and private boxes. Fenway and Wrigley also have Yawkey Way and Wrigleyville as pre and post-game congregation areas that are unique to each franchise; something very much lacking in Toronto.
Updating and modernizing the Dome is something that can be done if planned and funded correctly. The aim would be to replicate the amenities of most modern sports venues with more club seating, improved private suites/boxes and more open concourses and fan areas. In the Dome's context, accomplishing this task is easier because of the large footprint of the building and much higher seating capacity.
In this instance, lowering the seating capacity would not reduce overall per game revenue once all upgrades and renovations are completed, thus justifying higher ticket prices. Beyond that, you've got multiple possibilities in terms of replacing the look and feel of the place via new roof paneling, field orientations and opening up areas to natural light. We don't know if the Dome will remain an outdated, concrete bunker once these renovations are competed.
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Richard White
Senior Member
Codes change and at some point you will need major renovations above and beyond what is currently sufficient to get by. It is a cost thing... would you rather spend 500 million to renovate the stadium or spend a billion or more to implode and rebuild?
At some point the facilities will need to be upgrade to meet expanded capacity and you only expand so much before it becomes impractical.
Take BMO field and all the grandstands they have erected. They expanded and modified the stadium so many times but it is starting to become overbearing and impractical.
Translude15
Frank the Tank
It's possible to renovate a stadium or arena to modern standards without scrapping and rebuilding completely. Take a look at MSG, Wrigley and Dodger Stadium as recent examples. As others have indicated, large-scale renovations can be completed in stages, which is what Rogers would likely do in this instance.
I don't see the connection between the Dome and BMO Field either as nobody is calling for increasing the capacity at Rogers Centre. If anything, the renovations would reduce overall capacity. The mandate for the reno is to update/modernize the place while improving the overall fan experience via open areas. Various sections of seating would have to be eliminated in order to accomplish this.
ryguy7787
Active Member
I was just thinking about this in the Ontario Place sub forum, someone mentioned potentially putting a ballpark for the Jays over there.
That got me thinking of what could we use the Dome for other than baseball and I noticed how close it is to the convention centre. Does anyone think there could be a realistic use for large conventions?Could it be used for live demonstrations and built up for a fake lake?
I don't know how realistic the idea would be, but it can be one way we keep the iconic skyline dome alive while repurposing it for another large need we have, to hold bigger and more diverse conventions.
That got me thinking of what could we use the Dome for other than baseball and I noticed how close it is to the convention centre. Does anyone think there could be a realistic use for large conventions?Could it be used for live demonstrations and built up for a fake lake?
I don't know how realistic the idea would be, but it can be one way we keep the iconic skyline dome alive while repurposing it for another large need we have, to hold bigger and more diverse conventions.