SkyDome became the new home of the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday, June 5, 1989. The retractable roof stadium is the world's most advanced and luxurious ballpark. The stadium employs leading edge technology in both design and function. From the artificial turf to the 161 private SkyBoxes, the finest attention to detail was given.
At conception, SkyDome took an innovative approach to financing, construction and design. Until 1994, SkyDome had been owned by The Stadium Corporation of Ontario, a consortium comprised of both public and private funds. The Province of Ontario and the Municipality of Toronto each contributed 30 million dollars. Joining these two levels of government were 30 Canadian corporations including the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club. Each private company contributed 5 million dollars in exchange for preferred supplier status and a SkyBox. The final construction cost of SkyDome exceeded 500 million dollars. In April of 1999, SkyDome was purchased by Sportsco International, L.P.
Architects Rod Robbie and Michael Allen designed SkyDome and have patented its retractable roof system. Preparation of the site began in April 1986, with groundbreaking taking place in October of that same year. The last exterior concrete was poured in November of 1988 and the first test of the moveable roof panels took place in January 1989. More than 10,000 person-years of employment were created by the construction of SkyDome.
The venue is located just to the south and west of the CN Tower, between John Street and Blue Jays Way. A five minute walk from Union Station, it is easily accessible by the TTC or Go Transit. Several public parking lots are within a ten minute walk of the stadium. SkyDome is home to the Toronto Blue Jays Baseball Club and the Toronto Argonauts Football Club as well as playing host to hundreds of other events during the year such as family shows, trade shows and charity functions. Also located in the building is the Renaissance Toronto Hotel, a 348-room hotel with 70 rooms overlooking the field. SkyDome houses several corporate offices for various companies including the Toronto Blue Jays.
One of the many features of SkyDome is that it can be "transformed" from one mode (ie. baseball) to another mode (ie. football or concerts) within hours. The 100 level seating areas are situated on railway tracks that allow the seats to move for conversion purposes.
The JumboTron is the largest video display board in North America. At 33 ft x 110 ft (10.0m x 33.6m), it is about the size of an average residential building lot. It is three (3) stories high by nine (9) stories wide and is 1/12 of an acre. The total cost of the JumboTron was $17 million in 1988. To operate the JumboTron, a full production control facility with seven-camera input and a crew of up to 26 people are required.
SkyDome Facts
ROOF
SkyDome's roof system features a series of 3 moveable panels and 1 stationary panel. Panels 2 and 3 slide on parallel rails while panel 1 slides on a circular rail "tucking" underneath 2 and 3
the roof operates on a system of steel tracks and 54 drive mechanisms called "bogies" and is powered by a series of DC motors that generate over 750 horsepower
roof area is 339,343 square feet or 31,525 square metres
weight is 11,000 tons
span at widest point- 674 feet or 209 metres
height is 282 feet or 86 metres (from field level to highest point)
covering is single PVC membrane on insulated acoustic steel deck
100% of the field and 91% of the seating area is exposed with the roof open
open/close time - 20 minutes (71 feet or 21 metres per minute)
JUMBOTRON VIDEO DISPLAY BOARD
largest video display board in North America, second largest in the world (Japan)
the board was built by the Sony Corporation
67,200 light bulbs make up the viewing area
dimensions are 33 feet high (10.0 metres) by 110 feet wide (33.6 metres)
cost was $17,000,000
SEATING
five levels: Esplanade, Club, luxury skyboxes on 2 levels, SkyDeck
50,516 for baseball
53,000 for football
55,000 for concerts
67,000 for other events
SkyTent mode seats 10,000 to 30,000
41,000 seats are located between the foul lines
HOTEL
348 distinctively decorated rooms
70 rooms overlook the playing field
FOOD SERVICES
concessionaire - Sports Service
four counter service restaurants
two Club 200 lounges
19 SkySnack locations
52 beverage stations
five vending kitchens
fine dining - Sportsco Food Services
Windows on SkyDome is a 520 seat restaurant
Sightlines - a 300 foot bar with all seats facing the playing field
Hard Rock Cafe
Bistro (SkyDome Hotel)
FIELD
artificial turf system - Astro-Turf 8 (1 1/4 inches in thickness)
dimensions for baseball are symmetrical, 328 down the foul lines, 375 to power alleys and 400 to dead centre
diamond is centred two degrees off perfect north
outfield wall is 10 feet high and padded
bullpens are located just beyond the left and right field fences
pitcher's mound is constructed on a fiberglass dish and can be lowered or raised by hydraulic system
conversion takes approximately 10-12 hours to convert from baseball to football
over 8 miles of zippers connect the strips of artificial turf
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