Blue Jays Celebrate Opening Of Renovated Stadium At Season Opener

DUNEDIN, FL — To paraphrase a Yogism, it was like deja vu all over again -- only a lot better. Less than a year after renovations began on their spring training home, members of the Toronto Blue Jays set foot on freshly laid turf Monday for the team's season opener against the Atlanta Braves.

For the first time, fans got to see what $102 million buys as officials from the Blue Jays ball club and Dunedin city officials cut the ribbon on the stadium that Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro called "the best all-around facility in Major League Baseball."

Dunedin has been the spring training home of the Toronto Blue Jays and headquarters for the minor league Dunedin Blue Jays since the ball club was founded in 1977.

City leaders and team officials agreed that, in those 40-plus years, the team and community had forged a relationship that neither wanted to end.

So, in 2017, the Blue Jays and the City of Dunedin hammered out a deal for the MLB team to continue spring training and playing its home Grapefruit League games in Dunedin for the next 25 years provided the existing stadium at 373 Douglas Ave., which was built in 1990, be renovated and the team training facility at the Louis A. Vanech Recreation Complex be expanded and updated.

The bulk of funding for the $102 million ($96.6 million in construction costs) project came from Pinellas County tourist development tax money (about $42 million). The state kicked in another $14 million, the City of Dunedin contributed $5.66 million and the ball club invested more than $20 million.

When the ink on the 25-year lease was dry, the Blue Jays became the only Major League franchise to use the same spring training facility since its founding.

To accommodate the needs of both the team and its fans, the city enlisted Populous, a Kansas City-based architectural firm that designed Major League Baseball stadiums for the White Sox, Phillies, Braves, Yankees, Mets, Orioles and Reds.

Seating at the Dunedin stadium was expanded from 5,500 seats to 8,500, including 6,500 fixed seats. The majority of those seats were added down the left-field line. A small infield diamond and bullpen were removed to accommodate a grandstand structure and bar area.

Other additions include a boardwalk that wraps around the entire outfield to allow for 360-degree access around the stadium, a new boardwalk in right field, a large group section in the right field corner giving a ground-level view from the outfield, a new Jays Shop, a kids' zone (Junior Jays Zone) in the concourse along the left field side, an air-conditioned bar along the third base line, an outdoor bar in right field, a barbecue tent, and renovated bathrooms, concessions and suites.

The result is a facility built to impress, said officials during Monday's ribbon cutting. TD Ballpark is already ranked one of the top five places to watch a spring training game by Sports Illustrated.

Last fall, TD Bank was awarded naming rights for the stadium, which in the past has been known as Dunedin Stadium and Florida Auto Exchange Stadium, although its official name remains Grant Field.

The $102 million in funding was split evenly between the stadium and the ball club's new training complex at 1700 Solon Ave., Dunedin.

The complex includes three new full fields for a total six (one with synthetic turf), five-bay and seven-bay batting cages, two 10-pack gang mounds and a new half field. The 110,000-square-foot clubhouse includes a 10,000-square-foot weight room, eight locker rooms, two dining rooms, two training rooms, three sports labs, two fuel bars, a movement studio, barber, variable depth pool, plunge pools, sauna, classroom, large conference rooms, several huddle rooms and call rooms, administration offices and staff collaboration spaces.

See related stories:

• Groundbreaking Ceremony Set For New Toronto Blue Jays Stadium
• Dunedin Or Toronto: Who Are The Blue Jays' Biggest Fans?

Video courtesy Toronto Blue Jays

To get discounted tickets to Toronto Blue Jays spring training games, visit Ticket Network, a Dunedin Patch promotional partner.

Through March 21, baseball fans with tickets to home games can park free at the lot at the intersection of Skinner Boulevard and Milwaukee Avenue and in the Monroe Street Garage by showing their game-day ticket and then ride the Dunedin Jolley Trolley for free to TD Ballpark. Ticket-holders can also pick up the trolley at any stop along the route.

Upcoming spring training games include:

• Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Phillies (split squad) at Spectrum Field in Clearwater
• Tuesday, Feb. 25, 1:07 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Yankees (split squad) at TD Ballpark
• Wednesday, Feb. 26, 1:07 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Detroit Tigers at TD Ballpark
• Thursday, Feb. 27, 1:07 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Minnesota Twins at TD Ballpark
• Friday, Feb. 28, 1:05 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Tigers at Joker Marchant Stadium, Lakeland
• Saturday, Feb. 29, 1:07 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Phillies at TD Ballpark
• Sunday, March 1, 1:05 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs Pittsburgh Pirates at LECOM Park, Bradenton
• Monday, March 2, 1:07 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Pirates at TD Ballpark
• Wednesday, March 4, 1:05 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Tampa Bay Rays at Charlotte Sports Park, Port Charlotte
• Thursday, March 5, 1 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Phillies at Spectrum Field
• Friday, March 6, 1:07 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Pirates at TD Ballpark
• Saturday, March 7, 1:05 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs Boston Red Sox (split squad) at JetBlue Park, Fort Myers
• Sunday, March 8, 1:07 p.m. -- Blue Jays vs. Phillies at TD Ballpark