Construction has begun on the new dirt infield at the Rogers Centre, which is expected to be installed in time for the Toronto Blue Jays' 2016 home opener.
Last week it was announced crews will excavate about 12,000 square feet of concrete. The infield and baselines will be dug out to a depth of 12 inches and filled with layers of gravel, sand and clay.
"It will now look like a true Major League Baseball field," said Kelly Keyes, Rogers Centre's vice president of building services.
Keyes says the catalyst for the change was when the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts decided to move to BMO Field in time for their 2016 season.
"We've always been a football-baseball stadium so we were never able to do anything different because we had to convert in and out." said Keyes
"So having them leave gave us the ability to install a dirt infield, a permanent dirt infield for the season, because we are not going to play football in anymore in the stadium," said Keyes.
The head groundskeeper for the Toronto Blue Jays, Tom Farrell, says these initial stages of construction will take four weeks.
A construction worker begins to cut and dig cement floor of the Rogers Centre to prepare for installation of new dirt infield. (CBC)
When asked about how much the process is costing, Farrell said it was "pricey" but did not want to go into details.
"There is a considerable dollar amount and considerable investment from Rogers to make this happen," said Farrell.
Farrell said during the last week of March crews will lay down the Astroturf field.
"A week before home opener we will have a baseball field here," said Farrell.
The Toronto Blue Jays will open at home against the Boston Red Sox on April 8.
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