Groundbreaking Ceremony Set For New Toronto Blue Jays Stadium

DUNEDIN, FL -- The Toronto Blue Jays and the city of Dunedin will host a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Blue Jays spring training facilities.

The event will take place Tuesday at 10 a.m. at the current Dunedin Stadium, 373 Douglas Ave.

Work is already underway on an $80 million face lift on both facilities under an agreement that will maintain Dunedin as the spring training facility for the Toronto Blue Jays and its minor league team in Dunedin for the next 25 years.

Plans call for the total renovation of the stadium and the expansion of the Blue Jays Player Development Complex at the Louis A. Vanech Recreation Complex at 3051 Garrison Road.

Construction will by completed by February 2020.

"I think overall we're going to have the best all-around facility in Major League Baseball when this is done," said Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro.

The Pinellas County Commission approved using $41.7 million in tourist development taxes for the upgrade. The state will kick in $13.6 million, the city will contribute $5.66 million and the Blue Jays will provide $20 million.

The renovations funds will be split almost evenly between the training facility and stadium, which are located 10 minutes apart.

The renovations are being designed by Populous, a Kansas City architectural firm that designed Major League stadiums for the White Sox, Phillies, Braves, Yankees, Mets, Orioles and Reds, to name a few.

The new training complex (the Blue Jays Player Development Complex) will include baseball and agility fields, a new two-story, 100,000-square-foot training center and various outbuildings such as batting tunnels, maintenance structures and an irrigation pump house.

The entrance to the new PDC will be the existing entrance to the Louis A. Vanech Recreation Complex.

The stadium, which now seats 5,500 people, will be expanded to 8,500 with fixed seating for 6,500 people. The majority of those seats will be added down the left-field line with a small infield diamond and bullpen being removed in favor of a grandstand structure and bar area.

Other features include a tiki bar in center field, a catwalk around the outfield portion of the stadium and an "Autograph Alley" located outside the Blue Jays clubhouse down the right-field line.

Residents can follow the progress of the construction by clicking here.