rogers centre renovations

Rogers Centre's interior looks completely unrecognizable as stadium is gutted

Toronto Blue Jays fans are still feeling gutted after a heartbreaking disaster of an AL Wild Card Series in October.

And now, the team's home field is also looking gutted to match fans' crushed ambitions, as the Jays embark on a $300 million renovation aimed at improving the fan experience for Major League Baseball's seventh-oldest ballpark.

From practically the moment the Jays blew an 8-1 lead and shattered the hopes of an entire nation of baseball fans, the organization got to work on the first phase of its stadium renovation project.

The renovation has been ongoing since early October, and photos captured from within the 1989-built domed stadium show that the interior has been rendered practically unrecognizable.

Demolition crews have already torn out the entire 500 level's seating and opened up its outfield sections to the concourse.

Seating is also in the process of being removed for the 100 and 200 levels' outfield areas, while the 200 level will be reshaped to improve sight lines.

A video of the teardown work shows a mobile crane lowering a row of seating from the stadium's upper deck, along with an excavator taking bites out of the concrete structure of the 500 level.

The ongoing teardown work will pave the way for changes, including new patio-style seating on the 500 level, and the addition of elevated seats near the foul poles with a curved protrusion that puts fans closer to the action.

The Rogers Centre will be upgraded over the course of the next two to three off-seasons, and the stadium's new features might not be fully complete until 2025.

Lead photo by


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Sports & Play

The water park at Canada's Wonderland opens for the season this week

Here are all the sunken ships in Toronto

Abandoned quarry is an epic swimming hole one hour from Toronto

There's a secret trail in Ontario that takes you to abandoned ruins

Scotiabank Arena is getting brand-new seats after 25 years

Tributes pour in from sports and media worlds for passing of TSN host Darren Dutchyshen

Longtime TSN host Darren Dutchyshen has passed away at age 57

The top 5 fireworks stores in Toronto