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107-566: Rogers Centre (originally SkyDome ) is a retractable roof stadium in downtown Toronto, Ontario , Canada, situated at the base of the CN Tower near the northern shore of Lake Ontario . Opened in 1989 on the former Railway Lands , it is home to the Toronto Blue Jays of Major League Baseball (MLB). As well as being improved over the decades, during the MLB offseasons of 2022–24,
214-417: A National Football League and a Major League Soccer team to play at the stadium. Retractable roof A retractable roof is a roof system designed to roll back the roof of a structure so that the interior of the facility is open to the outdoors. Retractable roofs are sometimes referred to as operable roofs or retractable skylights . The term operable skylight , while quite similar, refers to
321-521: A 99-year exclusive option on stadium advertising. The initial cost of leasing a Skybox ranged from $ 150,000 to $ 225,000 ($ 315,040 to $ 472,560 in 2023 dollars) a year in 1989 – plus the cost of tickets for all events. The then unusual financing structure created controversy. First of all, there was no public tender for supplies and equipment. Secondly, companies that paid the $ 5 million fee, such as Coca-Cola , TSN and CIBC , received 100 percent stadium exclusivity, including advertising rights, for
428-564: A bad experience even worse, the washrooms overflowed. In attendance that day was Bill Davis , the Premier of Ontario , and the poor conditions were seen by the largest television audience in Canada (over 7.862 million viewers) to that point. The following day, at a rally for the Argos at Toronto City Hall , tens of thousands of people who attended the game began to chant, "We want a dome ! We want
535-486: A completely smoke-free policy in Canada, anticipating an act of provincial legislature that required all Ontario public places to go smoke-free by June 1, 2006. Alcohol was not available to patrons of Rogers Centre on April 7, 2009, as the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) imposed the first of a three-day alcohol suspension at the stadium for "infractions (that) took place at certain past events", according to
642-405: A crowd of over 50,000 in attendance, the event included appearances by Alan Thicke , Oscar Peterson , Andrea Martin of SCTV , impressionist André-Philippe Gagnon and rock band Glass Tiger . The roof was ceremonially "opened" by Ontario Premier David Peterson (no relation to Oscar) with a laser pen. The roof's opening exposed the crowd to a downpour of rain. Despite audible chants of "close
749-484: A dirt infield to be installed for the 2016 season. However, it does not appear likely the field will be converted to natural grass, as no further announcements for replacing the surface have been made since, and the field continues to retain its artificial surface. There are a total of 5,700 club seats and 161 luxury suites at the Rogers Centre. The complex had a Hard Rock Café restaurant until December 2009 when
856-599: A dome!" Seven months later, in June 1983, Davis formally announced a three-person committee would look into the feasibility of building a domed stadium at Exhibition Place . The committee consisted of Paul Godfrey , Larry Grossman and former Ontario Hydro chairman Hugh Macaulay. The committee examined various projects, including a large indoor stadium at Exhibition Place with an air-supported dome, similar to BC Place in Vancouver. In 1985, an international design competition
963-638: A domed stadium can be traced back to the bid that Toronto lost to Montreal as the Canadian candidate city for the 1976 Summer Olympics . In the proposal, an 80,000–100,000 seat complex would be part of the planned Harbour City development on the site of Maple Leaf Stadium . The contemporary impetus for building an enclosed sports venue in Toronto came following the Grey Cup game in November 1982, held at
1070-609: A farewell tour for Christine Sinclair . The stadium was temporarily renamed to Christine Sinclair Place in her honor. The stadium hosted round six of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series 2015–16 series. A new overall attendance record was set on September 2, 2023, with 65,061 people attending an Ed Sheeran concert, surpassing the previous record of 63,803 set by a U2 concert in 2009. In December 2024, BC Place will host three shows for Taylor Swift 's The Eras Tour . BC Place's main sports tenants are
1177-563: A field cost prohibitive. Installations throughout the world employ a variety of different configurations and styles. The first retractable roof sports venue was the now-demolished Civic Arena in Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania , United States. Constructed in 1961 for the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera , the arena was home to minor league basketball, college basketball, and minor league ice hockey teams before becoming
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#17327721860061284-520: A full-sized CFL regulation field, as a result BC Place became the first CFL stadium to use a 20-yard end zone instead of the regulation 25-yard end zone then in use. Although controversial at first, the smaller end zone proved highly popular with players and was adopted league-wide in 1986. The stadium has hosted the CFL's championship game, the Grey Cup , ten times: in 1983 , 1986 , 1987 , 1990 , 1994 , 1999 , 2005 , 2011 , 2014 , and 2024 . Notable
1391-541: A fully functional retractable roof at its debut in 1989 . Architecturally speaking, retractable roofs vary greatly from stadium to stadium in shape, material and movement. For example, American Family Field has a fan style roof, while Toyota Stadium in Japan has an accordion -like roof. Most retractable roofs are made of metal, while some, such as the roof of State Farm Stadium , are made of water-resistant fabric. Although each retractable roof differs in these aspects,
1498-785: A master plan for revitalizing the area, which includes CityPlace ). Ultimately, the Robbie/Allen concept won because it provided the largest roof opening of all the finalists, and it was the most technically sound. The stadium was designed by architect Rod Robbie and structural engineer Michael Allen and was constructed by the EllisDon Construction company of London, Ontario and the Dominion Bridge Company of Lachine, Quebec. The stadium's construction lasted about 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 years, from October 1986 to May 1989. The approximate cost of construction
1605-477: A natural grass surface forced the Argonauts to relocate to BMO Field before the 2016 season. In November 2005, Rogers Centre received a complete makeover to "open" the 100 Level concourse to the playing field and convert 43 luxury boxes to "party suites". This required some seats to be removed, which decreased overall capacity. In April 2006, Rogers Centre became one of the first buildings of its size to adopt
1712-435: A new artificial turf developed by Polytan was installed at an estimated cost of $ 1.2 million. It is designed to achieve FIFA 2-star certification, the highest rating possible. The soccer pitch is 117 by 75 yards (107 by 69 m). TSN analyst and former CFL player Chris Schultz praised both the design and engineering of the new stadium. Columnist Brian Hutchinson has praised the renovations for significantly improving
1819-705: A new, roll-based version of AstroTurf was installed. Similar to FieldTurf, the installation uses a sand- and rubber-based infill within the synthetic fibres. Rogers Centre is one of five venues in Major League Baseball that use artificial turf (the others are Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida , LoanDepot Park in Miami, Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas , and Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona ) and
1926-500: A profit, almost twice as many days as there are days in a calendar year. The stadium income was only $ 17 million in its first year of operations, while debt service was $ 40 million. It was determined the abrupt late inclusion by Stadco of a hotel and health club added an additional $ 112 million to the cost of the building. As the province slipped into a recession , Rae appointed University of Toronto professor Bruce Kidd and Canadian Auto Workers President Bob White to
2033-572: A province-wide "name the stadium" contest in 1987. Sponsored by the Toronto Sun , ballots were offered for people to submit their suggested name, with lifetime seats behind home plate to all events at the stadium (including concerts) as the prize. Over 150,000 entries were received with 12,897 different names. The selection committee narrowed it down to four choices: "Towerdome", "Harbourdome", "SkyDome", and simply "the Dome". The judges' final selection
2140-426: A regular season match against Inter Miami CF who had signed football legend Lionel Messi the year prior. BC Place will host seven matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup as one of two Canadian venues alongside BMO Field in Toronto. Among them are five group stage matches, including two home games for the Canada national team on June 18 and 24, and two knockout stage matches: one in the round of 32 and another in
2247-432: A sense of the infinite and that's what this is all about." Kellie Watson received lifetime seating of choice at SkyDome, which is still honoured after the stadium was renamed to Rogers Centre, under new ownership. The stadium officially opened on June 3, 1989, and hosted an official grand opening show: "The Opening of SkyDome: A Celebration", broadcast on CBC Television the following evening hosted by Brian Williams . With
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#17327721860062354-651: A skylight that opens on a hinge, rather than on a track. Retractable roofs are used in residences, restaurants and bars, swim centres, arenas and stadiums, and other facilities wishing to provide protection from the elements, as well as the option of having an open roof during favourable weather. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) records show that David S. Miller, founder of Rollamatic Retractable Roofs, filed U.S. patent 3,277,619 in August 1963 for "a movable and remotely controllable roof section for houses and other types of buildings". While any shape
2461-516: A year through 2088. Canada's three main breweries ( Labatt's , Molson , and Carling O'Keefe ) and the Toronto Blue Jays each paid $ 5 million ($ 10.5 million in 2023 dollars) to help fund the stadium. An additional 26 other Canadian corporations (selected by invitation only) also contributed $ 5 million, for which they received one of the 161 Skyboxes with four parking spaces (for ten years, with an opportunity for renewal) and
2568-504: Is 33 feet (10 m) high and 110 feet (34 m) across. The panel is made up of modular LED units that can be replaced unit by unit, and can be repaired immediately should it be damaged during an event. Originally, this screen was a Sony Jumbotron , which was the largest in North America at the time of the stadium's opening, but it has since been replaced a few times. There are also two ribbon boards made up of LED that run along
2675-456: Is a 25,000-name petition started by TTC bus driver Randy Rajmoolie. A baseball diamond in Toronto's Trinity Bellwoods Park is officially named SkyDome after the stadium's former and popular name. After the purchase, Rogers refurbished the stadium by, among other things, replacing the Jumbotron with a Daktronics video display, and erecting other new monitors, including several built into
2782-642: Is any significant threat of precipitation.) Depending on the stadium, weather or gameplay conditions, and the judgment of the officials, play may or may not continue until the roof is fully closed. If the game begins with the roof closed, it may be opened under some circumstances depending on the venue. If it is closed after the game begins, typically it must remain closed for the duration of the game. Some modern athletic facilities are using less-complex roof systems commonly referred to as open roofs . These are constructed with similar materials as retractable roofs, such as polycarbonate or tempered glass roofs. Hinged at
2889-405: Is composed of four panels and covers an area of 345,000 square feet (32,100 m). The two middle panels slide laterally to stack over the north semi-circular panel, and then the south semi-circular panel rotates around the stadium and nests inside the stack. It takes 20 minutes for the roof to open or close. It is not possible to move the roof in cold weather because the mechanism that closes
2996-456: Is covered by a single-ply PVC membrane. Because of its location south of the major railway corridor, new pedestrian connections had to be built; the infrastructure was part of the reason for the high cost of the stadium. The SkyWalk is an approximately 500-metre (1,600 ft) enclosed walkway that leads from the base of the CN Tower and via a bridge connects to Union Station (and is part of
3103-526: Is possible, common shapes are flat, ridge, hip-ridge, barrel and dome. A residence might incorporate one or more 3' by 5' retractables; a bar or restaurant a retractable roof measuring 20' by 30'; and a meeting hall a 50' by 100' bi-parting-over-stationary. Stadium retractable roofs are generally used in locales where inclement weather, extreme heat, or extreme cold are prevalent during the respective sports seasons, in order to allow for playing of traditionally outdoor sports in more favorable conditions, as well as
3210-452: Is the largest of its kind. The opening measures 100 by 85 metres (109 by 93 yd), the same size as the field below. The fabric roof retracts into and is hidden by a pod in the centre of the opening, above the suspended videoboard. The updated stadium also features the second largest centre-hung high definition scoreboard in North America, after the one in AT&;T Stadium . In addition,
3317-632: The BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer (MLS). The Vancouver Nighthawks , a member of the World Basketball League , played the 1988 season at BC Place. The Lions have played at BC Place since it opened in 1983 and had a record attendance of 59,478 for three games in 1985 and 1986. When it was built, the floor of BC Place was too small to accommodate
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3424-852: The BC Lions played their first game at the new stadium, a preseason 41–19 victory against the Calgary Stampeders with 53,472 in attendance. A month later, on July 24, 1983, a crowd of 41,810 watched the BC Lions defeat the Saskatchewan Roughriders 44–28 in the Lions' first regular season game at the stadium. The venue would host the Soccer Bowl '83 and the 1983 Grey Cup game later that year. On September 18, 1984, Pope John Paul II addressed an over-capacity crowd of 60,000 for "A Celebration of Life". The celebration
3531-714: The COVID-19 pandemic , the Toronto Blue Jays were playing most of their home games at their AAA affiliate 's home stadium of Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York with the Blue Jays also playing home games in TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Florida , during the first two months of the 2021 season). Along with Tropicana Field, the Rogers Centre warning track consists of brown turf, which does not provide any tactile differences from
3638-466: The NFL and MLB , as well as from stadium to stadium. In general, if a game begins with the roof open and weather conditions become less favorable, the home team may, with the approval of the field officials and visiting team, request the roof be closed. (Such a scenario is generally rare, due to the accuracy of modern weather forecasting and a general err on the side of caution that keeps a roof closed if there
3745-481: The Ontario Stadium Project was spearheaded by lead contractor EllisDon. Several factors complicated the construction: The lands housed a functioning water pumping station that needed to be relocated, the soil was contaminated from a century of industrial use, railway buildings needed to be torn down or moved, and the site was rich with archaeological finds. One of the most complex issues was moving
3852-501: The Path network). The John Street cable-stayed bridge was built to provide north–south passage over the rail tracks, linking Front Street with the stadium. Construction at the site, which at one time was south of the shoreline, unearthed over 1,500 artifacts. These included a 200-year-old French cannon used as ballast for a ship, cannonballs, pottery and a telescope. The stadium was completed two months late, having been planned to open for
3959-532: The Province of British Columbia , Prince Charles and Princess Diana presided over the opening ceremonies of the World's Fair on May 2, 1986. In 1987, an exhibition match of Australian rules football was played at the stadium and drew a crowd of 32,789 – a record for the largest AFL /VFL crowd outside of Australia. The stadium also hosted a National Football League exhibition game in 1998 when
4066-602: The San Francisco 49ers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 24–21 in the American Bowl with 45,000 in attendance. On January 5, 2007, snow accumulated on the air-supported Teflon Fibreglass roof, despite strict zero accumulation of ice guidelines and ice accumulation structural warnings. The accumulation caused a tear in the roof's ETFE -coated fabric close to Gate G on the south side where the roof meets
4173-608: The Toronto Blizzard 2–0 in front of 53,326 spectators. The stadium was also used for exhibition matches as well as Canada national team fixtures during the 1980s and 1990s. The second incarnation of the Whitecaps, initially named the Vancouver 86ers , played exhibition matches at BC Place in 1991 and 1992 before returning for regular season games in 1995 during renovations to Swangard Stadium . On November 7, 2007,
4280-793: The Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL) played an annual game at the stadium as part of the Bills Toronto Series from 2008 to 2013. The stadium served as the site of both the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2015 Pan American Games (renamed the Pan-Am Dome or Pan-Am Ceremonies Venue due to sponsorship regulations). The stadium
4387-444: The 1985 league championship series. Numerous MLB spring training games were also played, including in 1984 ( Toronto Blue Jays and Milwaukee Brewers ), 1986 ( Chicago Cubs , San Diego Padres , Montreal Expos and Seattle Mariners ), 1993 (Toronto, Seattle, Milwaukee and Detroit Tigers ) and 1994 MLB season (Toronto, Seattle, Montreal and Colorado Rockies ). The Mariners explored plans to play regular season games at BC Place in
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4494-454: The 2022 – 2023 and 2023 – 2024 offseasons. The objective of the renovations was to extend the ballpark's shelf life by another 10–15 years, while continuing to plan for a new stadium or more significant rebuild of the Rogers Centre within the next 10 to 12 years. The first phase of the renovations was designed by Populous and involved re-orienting outfield seats to face home plate, raising bullpens , adjusting
4601-468: The Air Canada Centre (later renamed Scotiabank Arena ) was being planned and built. It proved to be somewhat problematic as a basketball venue, even considering it was only a temporary facility. For instance, many seats theoretically in line with the court were so far away that fans needed binoculars to see the action. Other seats were so badly obstructed that fans sitting there could only watch
4708-502: The Argonauts moved to BMO Field in 2016. In November 2007, it hosted the 95th Grey Cup , its first since 1992 and third all-time. It was the 56th Grey Cup hosted by the city of Toronto since the championship's inception in 1909. From 1989 to 2003, SkyDome hosted the Vanier Cup championship of Canadian Interuniversity Sport (later renamed U Sports in 2016) football. In 1994, then-part owner of SkyDome Labatt considered purchasing
4815-458: The Blue Jays re-signed for an additional ten years in the facility. In April 1999, Sportsco International LP bought the stadium out of bankruptcy protection for $ 80 million. In November 2004, Rogers Communications , parent company of the Blue Jays, acquired SkyDome, excluding the attached SkyDome hotel, which had been sold to Renaissance for a reported $ 31 million in 1999, from Sportsco for about $ 25 million – roughly four percent of
4922-532: The East and West sides of the stadium interior. Each board is 434 feet (132 m) long by 3.5 feet (1.1 m) high. In addition, two video boards make up parts of the left and right outfield walls while the stadium is in baseball configuration. These are 65 feet (20 m) wide by nearly 10 feet (3.0 m) high. The main video board was upgraded again for the 2022 Blue Jays season, this time by using more modern technology and adding four "wings", two on each side of
5029-492: The John Street pumping station across the street to the south of the stadium. Foundations to the stadium were being poured even as the facility (in the infield area) continued to function, as construction on its new location had yet to be completed. Because the stadium was the first of its kind in the world, the architects and engineers kept the design simple (by using a sturdy dome shape) and used proven technologies to move
5136-593: The Stadco board to help deal with the stadium's growing debt, but the original $ 165 million debt had increased to $ 400 million by 1993. Stadco became a political liability, and in March 1994, the Ontario government paid off all outstanding Stadco debts from the government treasury and sold the stadium for $ 151 million to a private consortium that included Labatt Breweries, the Blue Jays' owner. In November 1998,
5243-636: The Whitecaps have played at BC Place. The original Vancouver Whitecaps of the North American Soccer League (NASL) played at the stadium from 1983 to 1984, when the team folded. The team hosted the first sporting event at BC Place, a regular season match against the Seattle Sounders on June 20, 1983, which drew 60,342 spectators. Soccer Bowl '83 was also held at BC Place, where the Tulsa Roughnecks defeated
5350-579: The Whitecaps hosted the LA Galaxy for an exhibition match that drew 48,172 spectators—mainly attracted by the appearance of David Beckham . On August 21, 2021, the Whitecaps played their first home game at BC Place since the COVID-19 pandemic after being forced to stay in the United States for the 2020 season and the first half of the 2021 season. They won 2–1 against Los Angeles FC . After
5457-471: The Whitecaps joined MLS and moved into the renovated BC Place, the team only sold seats in the lower bowl. They drew a record of 27,683 spectators for a regular season match against Seattle Sounders FC in 2018 without opening the upper bowl. The restriction was lifted for a 2023 playoff match against Los Angeles FC on November 5, 2023; the match had 30,204 spectators. The team set their new MLS attendance record on May 25, 2024, with 51,035 spectators during
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#17327721860065564-567: The acoustics, and providing a bright and airy feel to the stadium. These were aspects that were missing in its previous air-supported roof incarnation, as well as the Montreal Olympic Stadium and the Rogers Centre (formerly SkyDome ). The artificial turf installed between September 2011 and April 2015 drew criticism, notably its lacklustre characteristics for playing professional level soccer. A new artificial turf
5671-416: The addition of cupholders to the seats in the 100 Level, as well as reducing the size of foul territory, improving the dugouts for the Blue Jays and their opponents, and the addition of LED backstop advertising to cover the entire backstop, which is much more visible during television broadcasts. Following the second phase, capacity of the stadium was reduced further to 39,150. The 2024 Blue Jays home opener
5778-413: The central part of the main video board with the lower wings on each side being wider, making the main video board no longer rectangular. This was to accommodate the windows of the hotel behind the main video board. The video board and the stadium played host to several serial television events, including the series finales for Cheers and Star Trek: The Next Generation , along with live coverage of
5885-512: The comfort of spectators watching games played in such weather. Unlike their predecessors, the domes built primarily during the 1960s, 1970s, and early 1980s, retractable roofs also allow for playing of the same traditionally outdoor sports in outdoor conditions when the weather is more favorable. Another purpose of retractable roofs is to allow for growth of natural grass playing fields in environments where extreme hot and/or cold temperatures would otherwise make installation and maintenance of such
5992-410: The cost of construction. On February 2, 2005, Ted Rogers , President and CEO of Rogers Communications, announced a three-year corporate contract to change the name of SkyDome to Rogers Centre. The name change remains controversial and is unpopular with many fans, most of whom continue to refer to it as SkyDome in opposition to increased commercialism from the purchase of naming rights . One example
6099-793: The facility. A permanent, fixed roof was installed in 1998. The Centre Court at the National Tennis Centre , now called the Rod Laver Arena, in Melbourne, Australia opened in January 1988. It was the first retractable roof system installed in a Grand Slam tennis venue. The roof enables matches to continue during rain, extreme heat, and in the presence of smoke from bushfires in surrounding regions. The Rogers Centre (formerly known as SkyDome) in Toronto , Ontario had
6206-400: The first regular season game of the 1989 Toronto Blue Jays season ; the team played the first two months of its home schedule at Exhibition Stadium that year. The official name prior to and during construction was the 'Ontario Stadium Project' but was widely referred to in local media as simply 'the Dome' or 'Toronto Domed stadium'. As completion neared the name "SkyDome" was chosen as part of
6313-455: The funeral of Princess Diana in 1997. The Blue Jays have won two World Series championships at Rogers Centre, hosting Games 3, 4, and 5 of the 1992 World Series and Games 1, 2, and 6 of the 1993 World Series at the stadium, then known as SkyDome, with Game 3 of the 1992 series the first World Series game ever played in Canada. The stadium also hosted the 1991 Major League Baseball All-Star Game . The 1991 American League Championship Series
6420-553: The game on the replay boards. For most games, Rogers Centre seated 22,900 people. However, the Raptors sometimes opened the 500 Level, which is the stadium's uppermost level, when popular opponents came to town, such as the Chicago Bulls when Michael Jordan was a member of the team, expanding capacity to 29,000 and held over 36,000 attendees at one point. Rogers Centre hosted Canadian football from opening in 1989 to 2015, as
6527-710: The home of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967, as well as hosting over a dozen regular season National Basketball Association (NBA) games in the 1960s and 1970s. The arena's dome-shaped roof covered 170,000 square feet (16,000 m ) and was made up of eight equal segments constructed from close to 3,000 tons of steel, in which six segments could retract underneath
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#17327721860066634-615: The interior was not intended or built to deal with weather, including low temperatures and drainage. As of the 2020 season, they are one of two teams to have never played a home game on grass at their main stadium (the Tampa Bay Rays played some home games in 2007 and 2008 at Champion Stadium in Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida , and during the 2020 and much of the 2021 seasons , due to travel restrictions amid
6741-438: The life of their contract that could be extended up to 99 years. Third, the contracts were not put up for bid, meaning there was some doubt the contracts were made at a market rate: Pepsi stated at the time that had it known the terms of the contract it would have paid far more than $ 5 million for the rights. Local media like NOW Magazine called the amount charged to the companies "scandalously low". Construction of
6848-528: The lower stands, which roll into position for football, would be permanently fixed in position for baseball. The plan became more definite when Rogers renewed the Argonauts' lease through 2017, but ruled out any further extensions; in May 2015, it was announced the Argonauts would move to BMO Field for the 2016 season. The Blue Jays subsequently confirmed the Argonauts' early departure would not accelerate their own plans to install grass in 2018, though it did allow for
6955-521: The mid-1990s, but were unable to receive approval from MLB. In the mid-1990s, the stadium was planned to be the home of the yet-to-be named Vancouver team, a charter franchise of the United League (UL) which was planned to be a third league of MLB; it never came to fruition. The stadium is served by two SkyTrain stations on two lines: the Expo Line (TransLink) 's Stadium–Chinatown to
7062-608: The newly renovated facility. The 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament final between the United States and Canada played at the stadium was the highest attendance for a women's CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying game with 25,427 people in attendance. The 2014 NHL Heritage Classic took place March 2, 2014, in BC Place, with the Ottawa Senators facing off against the home team Vancouver Canucks . It
7169-651: The north side of False Creek , it is owned and operated by the BC Pavilion Corporation (PavCo), a crown corporation of the province. The venue is currently the home of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League (CFL), Vancouver Whitecaps FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), the annual Canada Sevens (part of the World Rugby Sevens Series ), as well as the BC Sports Hall of Fame . Opened on June 19, 1983, BC Place
7276-460: The opening ceremonies of the X Paralympic Winter Games were also held in BC Place Stadium in February and March 2010, respectively. The stadium was the first air-supported structure and 24th venue to host the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics . It was also both the third CFL venue and the third Canadian venue to have served as an Olympic Stadium , after Montreal 's Olympic Stadium and Calgary 's McMahon Stadium . The 47th Vanier Cup
7383-413: The outdoor Exhibition Stadium . The game, in which the hometown Toronto Argonauts (also known as the Argos) were making their first Grey Cup appearance since 1971 , was played in a driving rainstorm that left most of the crowd drenched, leading the media to call it "the Rain Bowl". As many of the seats were completely exposed to the elements, thousands watched the game from the concession section. To make
7490-427: The outfield dimensions to be asymmetrical, adding social spaces with bars in the outfield sections of the 500 Level (the highest level), and removing some seats to widen all remaining seats, thereby reducing capacity to 41,500 attendees. The 2023 Blue Jays home opener was moved a few days later to accommodate the first phase of the renovation. The second phase involved re-orienting the infield seats to face home plate,
7597-446: The outfield wall. They also installed a new FieldTurf artificial playing surface. In May 2005, the Toronto Argonauts agreed to three five-year leases at Rogers Centre, which could have seen the Argonauts play out of Rogers Centre up to and including 2019. The team had the option to leave at the end of each of the three lease agreements. Proposed plans to lock Rogers Centre into its baseball configuration permanently in order to install
7704-502: The press release. By 2020, with the Rogers Center over 30 years old and one of the oldest stadiums in MLB , Rogers had begun to explore options for the long term home of the team. Rogers Communications and Brookfield Asset Management reportedly discussed replacing Rogers Centre with a smaller, baseball-specific stadium plus residential towers, office buildings, retail stores and public space. The new venue would be constructed on
7811-513: The remaining two, supported by a 260-foot (79 m) long exterior cantilevered arm. Olympic Stadium in Montreal , Quebec was slated to be the first outdoor retractable roof stadium at its debut for the 1976 Summer Olympics . However, plagued by construction problems, the roof was not installed until 1987, and was not retractable until 1988. Even then, movement of the roof was impossible in high wind conditions, and technical problems plagued
7918-474: The rest of the field. However, the Blue Jays have long explored the possibility of converting the Rogers Centre to a natural grass surface, and plans were examined in order to install a grass field by 2018 to allow enough time for research and growing of the sod. Installing grass would require digging up the floor, adding a drainage system, and installing 30 cm (1 ft) of dirt. The stadium would need to be permanently locked into its baseball configuration;
8025-630: The restaurant closed after its lease expired. The Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel is also within Rogers Centre with 70 rooms, and a restaurant and bar called the Sportsnet Grill overlooks the field. The Blue Jays in partnership with theScore Bet announced plans in April 2022 to create a new premium branded flagship sports bar and restaurant that would be open 365 days a year at the Rogers Centre and provide sports betting lines, including for daily fantasy sports . Over $ 5 million of artwork
8132-400: The roof could fail in cooler weather. The original AstroTurf installation was replaced with FieldTurf from 2005 to 2010. The FieldTurf took about 40 hours to remove for events such as concerts or trade shows, as it used 1,400 trays that needed to be stacked and transported off the field. Prior to the 2010 baseball season , to reduce the amount of time required to convert the playing field,
8239-473: The roof of T-Mobile Park is unique in that it is the only one in North America that does not form a climate-controlled enclosure when in the extended position; rather, it acts as an "umbrella" to cover the playing field and spectator areas during inclement weather, with no side walls enclosing the stadium. In North American major sports leagues , specific rules exist governing the movement of retractable roofs before and during gameplay. These rules vary between
8346-449: The roof was re-inflated. The BC Contractors Association held an exhibition in the stadium over the week of January 23, during which the roof leaked in several places when it rained. The temporary panel was successfully replaced with a permanent one in June 2007, just prior to the start of the 2007 CFL season . On May 16, 2008, it was announced that over $ 150 million in major renovations would be carried out on BC Place Stadium. The work
8453-559: The roof", Magwood insisted the roof remain fully open. The stadium became a thorn in the side of David Peterson's Ontario Liberal government for repeated cost overruns. After the Liberals were defeated by the NDP in the 1990 Ontario election , a review by the new Bob Rae government in October 1990 revealed Stadco's debt meant the Dome would have to be booked 600 days a year to turn
8560-467: The roof. It was important the design would work and be reliable as to avoid the various problems that plagued Montreal's Olympic Stadium . The 31-storey-high roof consists of four panels: one (on the north end) is fixed in place and the other three are moved by electrically driven 'train' engines, that run on high-strength railway rails. The roof, which takes 20 minutes to open, was made out of steel trusses covered by corrugated steel cladding, which in turn
8667-594: The round of 16. The provincial government estimates that it will cost $ 240–260 million to stage, plan, and host the matches at BC Place. BC Place can also be used in a baseball configuration to attract a future Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise. It can accommodate a baseball diamond with retractable seating sections making room for right field. The Vancouver Canadians of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League played several series of games there between 1984 and 1988, including games 1 and 2 of
8774-403: The southern end of the current stadium and adjacent parking lots, while the mixed-use development would be built on the northern portion of the site. An alternate site was also been considered for a new baseball park at Quayside in Toronto's east end next to Lake Ontario . However, the Blue Jays instead decided to undertake a major $ 400 renovation of the stadium's interior in two phases, during
8881-495: The stadium was renovated by upgrading the sports facilities and hospitality whilst reducing the capacity for baseball games. While it is primarily a sports venue, the stadium also hosts other large events such as conventions , trade fairs , concerts , travelling carnivals , circuses and monster truck shows. Previously, the stadium was also home to the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and
8988-541: The stadium's new centre-hung scoreboard. The roof's construction began immediately after the completion of the 2010 Winter Paralympics and the final deflation of the air-supported roof. The official budget for the completed Phase 1 upgrades plus the revitalization project was $ 514 million. The new roof, a cable-supported retractable roof system first used with the Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt , Germany,
9095-471: The stadium, designed by architecture firm Studio Phillips Barratt, Ltd. BC Place was built as part of the preparations for the 1986 World's Fair, Expo 86 . Upon its completion in 1983, the stadium, designed by structural engineers Geiger Berger Associates , was the world's largest air-supported domed stadium until May 4, 2010, when it was deflated for the last time in preparation for the erection of its new retractable roof. Its original air-supported design
9202-571: The stadium, which Labatt then owned as 49 percent of total, filed for bankruptcy protection, triggered after disastrous Skybox renewal numbers. Most of the 161 Skybox tenants had signed on for 10-year leases; a marked decrease in interest in the stadium's teams and the construction of the Air Canada Centre , which hosted the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors , resulted in few renewals for Skybox leases. That same month,
9309-451: The structure's gutters, open roofs fully close and open by the mechanics of a rack and pinion system or a push/pull drive system. Open roofs are typically seen at smaller athletic venues such as country clubs and universities, and also in the construction of commercial greenhouses and garden centres for climate control purposes. BC Place BC Place is a multi-purpose stadium in Vancouver , British Columbia, Canada. Located at
9416-405: The top of the bowl when inflated. No one was injured during the incident, although rain and melted snow flooded the bowl and subsequently had to be pumped out. An independent report indicated that an accidental rapid pressurization combined with lightly gusting wind and a location of previously undetected damage caused the tear. The damaged panel was replaced with a temporary one on January 19 and
9523-423: The top of the concrete bowl. The tear grew quickly as air escaped through it, whereupon maintenance staff performed an intentional, controlled deflation to protect the integrity of the roof's intact fabric panels. As it was designed to do, the deflated roof rested on its steel support cables 6 metres (20 ft) above the seating and the field. Normally, the roof had a rise of 27 metres (90 ft) above
9630-464: Was C$ 570 million ($ 1.2 billion in 2023 dollars) which was paid for by the federal government , Ontario provincial government , the City of Toronto, and a large consortium of corporations. The stadium was funded by a public–private partnership , with the government paying the largest percentage of the cost. The initial cost of $ 150 million was greatly underestimated, as the final cost
9737-472: Was C$ 570 million ($ 1.2 billion in 2023 dollars). Two levels of government ( Metro Toronto and provincial) each initially contributed $ 30 million ($ 63 million in 2023 dollars). This does not include the value of the land that the stadium sits on, which was owned by the Canada Lands Company (a Crown corporation of Canada ) and the City of Toronto and was leased for $ 900,000
9844-474: Was SkyDome. Premier David Peterson drew the prize-winning entry of Kellie Watson from a lottery barrel containing the over-2,000 entries that proposed "SkyDome". At the press conference announcing the name, Chuck Magwood, president of the Stadium Corporation of Ontario (Stadco), the crown corporation created to run SkyDome, commented: "The sky is a huge part of the whole roof process. The name has
9951-414: Was also moved a few days later to accommodate the second phase of the renovation. Significant improvements to the facility since opening in 1989 include: The venue was the first major team sports stadium in North America with a functional, fully retractable roof (Montreal's Olympic Stadium also had a retractable roof, but due to operational issues, it was replaced with a permanent fixed roof). The roof
10058-625: Was commissioned in 1989 ($ 10.5 million in 2023 dollars): The stadium's parking lot is located under the stadium itself. The underground parking lot is divided into four sections (Sun, Moon, Star, and Cloud) and the ramps within the stadium correspond to these sections, while the fifth section, the Hotel Zone, being the northernmost section, is reserved for hotel uses by the Toronto Marriott City Centre Hotel directly above this section. The Rogers Centre video board
10165-641: Was done in two phases. The first phase involved upgrades to seating, washrooms, concessions, and luxury suites, as well as the reinforcement of the existing ring beam at the top of the building and was completed in October 2009, in time for the 2010 Winter Olympics. Work on the retractable roof began in May 2010, with PCL Westcoast Constructors Inc. contracted to construct the roof designed by architecture firm Stantec Architecture Ltd. and structural engineering firm Geiger Engineers , with Schlaich Bergermann & Partner serving as consulting engineers and Genivar, Inc. acting as services engineers. Geiger also designed
10272-558: Was installed in May 2015, prior to the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015. The total cost of the turf upgrade was $ 1.327 million, with Canada Soccer and Rugby Canada contributing $ 500,000 CDN to the project. Liam Middleton, Canada's Rugby Sevens coach, stated that the new surface was "better than some natural grass surfaces they've played on." The opening and closing ceremonies of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and
10379-518: Was launched to design a new stadium, along with selection of a site. Some of the proposed sites included Exhibition Place, Downsview Airport , and York University . The final site was at the base of the CN Tower not far from Union Station , a major railway and transit hub. The Railway Lands were a major Canadian National Railway rail switching yard encompassing the CNR Spadina Roundhouse (the desolate downtown lands were part of
10486-412: Was originally an indoor structure with an air-supported roof , the world's largest at the time. Following the 2010 Winter Olympics , it was closed for 16 months as part of an extensive revitalization, the centrepiece of which was replacing the inflatable roof with a retractable roof supported by cables. Once construction was completed, the stadium's new roof was also the largest of its type. BC Place
10593-569: Was part of the papal visit to the Archdiocese of Vancouver . It was one of the most heavily attended events in the stadium. The Pope's Celebration of Life was followed a few months later by the Billy Graham Crusade, which drew similar numbers for eight nights. The stadium was then used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 1986 World Exposition on Transportation and Communication ( Expo '86 ). Accepting an invitation by
10700-458: Was renamed "Rogers Centre" following the 2005 purchase of the stadium by Rogers Communications , the corporation that also owns the Toronto Blue Jays. The venue is noted for being the first stadium to have a fully retractable motorized roof , as well as for the 348-room hotel attached to it with 70 rooms overlooking the field. It is the last North American major-league stadium built to accommodate both football and baseball . The idea of building
10807-615: Was similar to the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minnesota , which later stored pieces of the roof for reuse. The stadium held its grand opening on June 19, 1983. The first major event held in the stadium came the next day, June 20, when the Vancouver Whitecaps hosted the Seattle Sounders in a Monday night North American Soccer League (NASL) game with attendance announced at 60,342. On June 23, 1983,
10914-531: Was the main stadium for the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics , the 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament , as well as a venue for multiple matches including the championship match for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup . The stadium is set to host multiple matches during the 2026 FIFA World Cup , including knockout stage matches. Construction of the stadium started in February of 1981, with Dillingham Construction contracted to build
11021-577: Was the 1994 championship, in which the hometown BC Lions defeated the U.S. expansion team the Baltimore Football Club on a last-second field goal by Lui Passaglia , preventing the Grey Cup trophy from leaving Canada (Baltimore would win the Grey Cup the following year). The stadium hosted the 99th Grey Cup in 2011 after the new roof was completed (this Grey Cup game was also won by the BC Lions at home). Several incarnations of
11128-544: Was the first Canadian university football championship paired with the Grey Cup Festival and played on November 25, 2011, between the McMaster Marauders and Laval Rouge et Or in front of 24,935. Nicknamed "Best Game... Ever", it is widely regarded as one of the most exciting Canadian Football games of all time with McMaster winning 41–38 in double overtime. It was the first championship played in
11235-506: Was the first Major League Baseball playoff series played entirely indoors with the first two games at the Metrodome in Minneapolis and the final three at SkyDome. Games in the first round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic were played at the Rogers Centre. Besides baseball, Rogers Centre was the original home of the National Basketball Association 's Toronto Raptors , who played at the venue from November 1995 to February 1999, while
11342-532: Was the first NHL game to be played in a retractable roof stadium. BC Place hosted its second major international sports competition, the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup . Five group stage matches , two round of 16 matches , and one quarter-final were held in the stadium during June 2015, and the Final between Japan and the United States was played here on July 5, 2015. The Canada women's national team played Australia at BC Place on December 5, 2023, as part of
11449-415: Was the last venue to use "sliding pits" before switching to a full dirt infield for the 2016 baseball season . Before the Argonauts moved out, the pitcher's mound could be lowered or raised hydraulically when converting from baseball to football (or vice versa). The use of natural grass was long thought to be unfeasible since the stadium was designed as a closed structure with a roof that opens, and as such,
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