Inside Blue Jays' $430,000,000 Rogers Centre stadium ft. MLB's first retractable roof innovation, paving way for year-round events in all weather

Inspired by the 1976 Olympic Stadium in Montreal, the Rogers Centre in Toronto first broke ground in 1989 on the CP Railway Lands. Over 30 years later, the stadium remains one of the least-understood and most imposing home bases in all of MLB.

The project to construct a new home for the Toronto Blue Jays was to be an ambitious one. Exhibition Stadium, home of the Jays since their innaugural 1977 season, was open-roofed, providing little protection during the terse spring and autumn times in Toronto. The new stadium, it was concluded, needed to have a retractable dome.

"Building Toronto’s Skydome in 2.5 minutes in 1989. credit: Ellis Don" - Morgan Cameron Ross

The domed roof was to consist of four panels to be moved by electric engines. The roof itself was made out of steel trusses covered by corrugated steel cladding. When it was finally finished, the roof took 20 minutes to open and close, and the entire construction cost some $570 million Canadian dollars, which was equivalent to about $430 million in USD.

In June, 1989 the Blue Jays hosted the Milwaukee Brewers for the first game ever at Rogers Centre, then called SkyDome. Although a grand spectacle was made about opening the roof for the first time, a downpour of rain in Toronto ensured that it was not open for long.

"Rogers Centre Toronto roof opening" - Domenico

For most of the 1990s, SkyDome had the only retractable roof in MLB. That changed with the construction and subsequent opening of Safeco Field, home of the Seattle Mariners, in 1999. Currently, seven MLB teams feature some sort of retractable roof technology at their home field.

Touch-ups remains a part of Rogers Centre's enduring legacy

Prior to the 2022 season, the Toronto Blue Jays organization embarked on yet another ambitious makeover for their home field. The $300 million stadium enhancement focused primarily on the outfield, where the bullpens were raised and bleachers moved up, closer to the action.

Additionally, Rogers Centre added four new bars and patios to both the upper and lower decks of the field, all while widening every seat in the upper levels. As part of the plan, this offseason holds intent to further retool the lower level, as well as add more premium social spaces around the field.

Although a World Series has not made it to Toronto since 1993, it sure looks like the Blue Jays are preparing to have one back soon.