Big changes are coming for baseball fans at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, says Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro.

In an interview with BNN Bloomberg, Shapiro said Canada’s only Major League Baseball team is looking to provide a better stadium experience for its fans in order to compete with the modern sports entertainment landscape.

“You need to be able to provide a family the best family experience, or a young person who wants to come for a bar environment the best bar in Toronto,” he said in the interview.

Shapiro’s comments about the stadium’s future come as questions swirl around whether the 30-year-old ballpark, once known as the SkyDome, will eventually be replaced.

In an effort to improve its infrastructure, the stadium has recently undergone maintenance, including sprucing up the 100 and 200-level sections, replacing the waterproofing around the building and updating the roof, which Shapiro said is expected to be completed in the next month.

“The commitment to this stadium and its upkeep has been immaculate,” Shapiro said. “So it still feels like a great place.”

How Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro plans to revamp the Rogers Centre

Blue Jays President Mark Shapiro is looking to give baseball fans a better experience at the 30-year-old Rogers Centre as it faces mounting criticism for the state of its infrastructure and high-priced concessions. Here’s a look at how he hopes to overhaul the stadium.

Speaking on Newstalk 1010 earlier this week, Toronto Mayor John Tory said the future of the stadium is unclear, adding that if a new ballpark is needed, the city won’t be footing the bill.

“It’s now the old [stadium] when it was the new kid on the block 30 years ago,” Tory said. “So I think naturally, a decision point comes from them, the owners: do you invest in it … or do you build something new?”

“The notion that you’re going to get a lot of big cheques or any cheques necessarily written by government to build a new stadium is not likely to happen,” Tory added. “Therefore, they’ve got to come up with a way to pay for it.”

Shapiro didn’t comment on the possibility that the stadium could be outright replaced, but said any future plans will have fans top of mind.                                                            

“As we evolve this stadium for the long haul, the long term, in whatever form that takes – and we continue to work with Rogers and Blue Jays officials to chart what’s best for our fans – that’s what we’re going to think about,” he said.

“We have some things in store for next year which may even have a bigger impact on fan experience,” Shapiro added, without divulging any specifics. “It will affect every minute of every game if we are able to finish it.”