Toronto Blue Jays president Mark Shapiro believes significant upgrades to the Rogers Centre will allow the team to play at the stadium for another 10 to 15 years while plans for a new ballpark are worked out, according to Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet.
Shapiro said the Blue Jays will eventually need to build a new facility in the same area Rogers Centre is currently located at or find another spot in Toronto.
“We have been approved for a significant renovation of Rogers Centre,” Shapiro said Friday. He added that construction will start next offseason and is expected to be done in 2024.
The executive said the work will focus on the lower bowl and concourses.
Shapiro’s goal is “to move it (Rogers Centre) from a stadium to a ballpark,” according to Rob Longley of the Toronto Sun.
The cost of the renovations wasn’t disclosed. However, the team was reportedly looking at a price tag of $200 million to $250 million in late December.
The stadium originally opened in 1989 as the Skydome and cost $570 million to build. Rogers acquired the facility in 2004 for $25 million.
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