Report: Blue Jays owners plan to demolish Rogers Centre for new facility

The Rogers Centre could be a thing of the past.

Rogers Communications Inc., owners of the Toronto Blue Jays, and the real-estate arm of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. are interested in demolishing the stadium and replacing it with a new one in Toronto's downtown core, sources told Andrew Willis of The Globe and Mail.

The two companies are working with government officials on a plan that would see the stadium cut in half as part of a redevelopment project.

The plan is to construct a new baseball-focused facility on the south end of where the current stadium lies while filling the north section with residential towers, office buildings, and other businesses.

A new facility on a lakefront site is also being considered, Willis adds.

The Rogers Centre renovation is expected to cost several billion dollars and still needs numerous government approvals. Rogers and Brookfield are expected to foot the renovation bill, according to Willis' sources.

"Prior to the pandemic, we were exploring options for the stadium, but through this year our primary focus has been keeping our customers connected and employees safe, so there is no update on the Rogers Centre to share at this time," a Rogers spokesperson said on Friday, according to Sportsnet's Ben Nicholson-Smith.

The stadium originally opened in 1989 as the Skydome and cost $570 million to build. Rogers acquired the domed facility in 2004 for $25 million.