[ericmacm]

Both Allegiant and SoFi stadium are fine examples of excessive waste and unsustainable development, and should absolutely not be followed. The level of defiance and disrespect towards to the limitations that the natural environments in California and Nevada present always impress me.

Having a retractable field is only possible like the stadiums in Vegas or Arizona if you have the space to do it. I see it as a mechanism that overcomplicates a simple problem, where if you have to go through all of this effort just to have grass, should natural grass even be growing there in the first place? For a ballpark, especially one in downtown Toronto on the current footprint, there would be no room to do it practically (you'd essentially have to keep an empty 330'×330' space for the grass), and I would imagine that there would be no appetite for something like that, since the maximization of space is key to this redevelopment plan. It's something that's never been done with a baseball stadium just because of the sheer size of the field.

I think a retractable field is totally out of the question for Toronto. Simplicity is key, and more compact style of retractable roof is a much better option if a roof is needed.

 

[Bogtrotter]

So long as this new stadium is 100% privately funded, it can cost however much they want it to. Not a dime of public money should be spent or else we may have another Skydome cost overrun fiasco on our hands.

I'm only on the bandwagon if Rogers can pull it off without public funds. If not, I'm quite happy with the Jays finding new digs at another location with their own baseball specific park. I do share ProjectEnd's cynicism.

 

[gabe]

Both Allegiant and SoFi stadium are fine examples of excessive waste and unsustainable development, and should absolutely not be followed. The level of defiance and disrespect towards to the limitations that the natural environments in California and Nevada present always impress me.

Having a retractable field is only possible like the stadiums in Vegas or Arizona if you have the space to do it. I see it as a mechanism that overcomplicates a simple problem, where if you have to go through all of this effort just to have grass, should natural grass even be growing there in the first place? For a ballpark, especially one in downtown Toronto on the current footprint, there would be no room to do it practically (you'd essentially have to keep an empty 330'×330' space for the grass), and I would imagine that there would be no appetite for something like that, since the maximization of space is key to this redevelopment plan. It's something that's never been done with a baseball stadium just because of the sheer size of the field.

I think a retractable field is totally out of the question for Toronto. Simplicity is key, and more compact style of retractable roof is a much better option if a roof is needed.

Allegiant and SoFi stadium are multi-purpose stadiums, like Rogers Centre, Works for the NFL, not so much for MLB. I think we can safely say Sky Dome is the last giant multi-purpose stadium we will ever see in Toronto.

 

[Richard White]

Has anyone considered a glass roof?

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

ETFE roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium in New Zealand

 

[Admiral Beez]

ETFE roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium in New Zealand

No risk of snow, clearly.

 

[Admiral Beez]

So long as this new stadium is 100% privately funded, it can cost however much they want it to. Not a dime of public money should be spent or else we may have another Skydome cost overrun fiasco on our hands.

I’d be okay with public financial support if the Skydome site is turned over to the city for use as public parkland.

 

[afransen]

No risk of snow, clearly.

You could do something similar in a snowy climate, would just need a somewhat more robust structure and greater slope to ensure the snow slides/enough heat to melt it. If we are going for an outdoor stadium, you could also remove the roof in the fall and replace it in the spring and just let snow fall inside the stadium during the winter. Might not be very environmentally friendly, as it might need active cooling in the summer to keep the temperatures tolerable.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

You could do something similar in a snowy climate, would just need a somewhat more robust structure and greater slope to ensure the snow slides/enough heat to melt it. If we are going for an outdoor stadium, you could also remove the roof in the fall and replace it in the spring and just let snow fall inside the stadium during the winter. Might not be very environmentally friendly, as it might need active cooling in the summer to keep the temperatures tolerable.

Yep, US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis uses ETFE as well.

AoD

 

[bgobgo]

I’m not advocating having a glass roof but if we did go with one, having a retractable roof that is open during the winter to ensure it does not become compromised from snow build up could be an option. The roof is only needed during the baseball season to stay warm and to avoid rain delays which a glass roof would be structurally sound enough for that.

 

[AlvinofDiaspar]

I’m not advocating having a glass roof but if we did go with one, having a retractable roof that is open during the winter to ensure it does not become compromised from snow build up could be an option. The roof is only needed during the baseball season to stay warm and to avoid rain delays which a glass roof would be structurally sound enough for that.

I can't imagine how the economics of building another 1-2B+ stadium will work in this SkyDome redevelopment scenario. All these examples of stadia with retractable roofs are in that kind of a price range - minimum.

AoD

 

[Bogtrotter]

I’d be okay with public financial support if the Skydome site is turned over to the city for use as public parkland.

Yes I think that would be great- or at least some sort of publicly usable space/ facility that is needed by the city. If the Blue Jays do vacate I'm wondering if the dome or parts of the concrete structure could be incorporated into a new convention centre/event venue. Seems a bit pie in the sky and horrendously expensive. Hopefully it's not just more generic point towers.

 

[Admiral Beez]

Yes I think that would be great- or at least some sort of publicly usable space/ facility that is needed by the city. If the Blue Jays do vacate I'm wondering if the dome or parts of the concrete structure could be incorporated into a new convention centre/event venue. Seems a bit pie in the sky and horrendously expensive. Hopefully it's not just more generic point towers.

Left to the market it’ll be just more condos.

 

[Amare]

Left to the market it’ll be just more condos.

Dont worry, this city will more than allow for condos to be built right abutting whatever new stadium is built, rendering it near impossible to build any future stadium on site. Similar to the case we're in today, but much worse.

 

[UtakataNoAnnex]

For those like me who don't know: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ETFE

Err, The Toronto BubbleDome has a nice ring to it...