rogers centre upgrades

Rogers Centre's interior is now totally unrecognizable as the stadium is gutted

The Toronto Blue Jays wasted little time after the team's postseason came crashing down on October 4, and immediately launched into the next round of a $300 million multi-year renovation for the aging Rogers Centre.

Construction work commenced soon after the Jays dropped their AL Wild Card series versus the Minnesota Twins. Crews from general contractor PCL descended on the dome and got right to work on tearing out the 100 Level seating to make way for a full reconstruction of the stadium's lower bowl.

Approaching three weeks since the Jays' season came to a disappointing end, the Rogers Centre's interior now looks totally unrecognizable as demolition of the lower bowl continues at an impressive pace.

Blue Jays fan account @TBJLive on X (formerly Twitter) has been tracking the renovation work, and captured some impressive views of the demolition process over the weekend as crews removed the last of the lower bowl seating.

Once the last of the seating was removed, work began on tearing away the supporting structure below, revealing bare concrete not seen by human eyes in over three decades since the lead-up to the stadium's 1989 opening.

The lower bowl will be fully demolished from foul pole to foul pole, and then reconstructed in a new configuration that reduces foul areas and brings fans closer to the action — a major step away from the venue's roots as a multipurpose sports stadium supporting football and baseball.

The team ownership promises that the renovations will introduce a "modern ballpark experience designed specifically for baseball viewing."

Fans will enjoy new seating similar to those introduced for the 500 Level in the 2022-23 off-season, offering added legroom, chairs with slatted backs for better airflow, adjustable armrests, and, perhaps most importantly, cup holders.

As for the old seating, Jays fans were shocked to learn that the original seats in place since the stadium's 1989 opening were unceremoniously dumped in a scrap heap north of Toronto.

The current phase of renovations is targeted for completion ahead of the Jays' home opener in April.

Lead photo by

@TBJLive/X


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Sports & Play

Toronto Maple Leafs expected to lose high-scoring prospect for nothing

Toronto's biggest waterpark opens for the season next weekend and they're still hiring

New Ontario mini golf course features moving dinosaur animatronics

Tessa Virtue and Leafs' Morgan Rielly announce baby on the way

These are the cleanest beaches for swimming in Ontario

Everyone is making fun of the Toronto Blue Jays' new uniform design

10 bars with arcade games in Toronto

This is when the first outdoor swimming pools open in Toronto for the season