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This morning, Live Nation Canada announced Rogers Stadium, the latest addition to Toronto’s live entertainment scene, to be constructed at the former Downsview Airport site. It aims to alleviate scheduling pressures from other venues, notably the Rogers Centre due to the busy summer schedule of the Blue Jays. This move comes at a time when the city's appetite for live performances is increasing, coinciding with the master-planned community planned for the area by the site’s developer, Northcrest Developments.
The announcement was made at a press conference held earlier today, attended by representatives from the promoter along with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Details were provided on how Rogers Stadium will distinguish itself as a major attraction in Toronto, featuring a unique open-air design that can host up to 50,000 fans. Upon completion, the stadium will be the city's largest purpose-built outdoor concert venue.
It is envisioned as a horseshoe-like structure with seating that can be reconfigured to suit the varying demands of large-scale concerts and events. Operating annually from June through September, the venue plans to host between 12 to 15 major concerts each year, attracting top-tier international artists.
Located on a 44-acre parcel at the north end of the former Downsview Airport, the venue will be situated within the Runway Central District, part of the larger Hangar District, adjacent to Centennial College’s Downsview Aerospace Campus. Rogers Stadium is designed as a temporary fixture with an operational lifespan of approximately five years.
This interim solution addresses the immediate need for a dedicated concert venue while allowing flexibility for the redevelopment plans set by Northcrest Developments. In doing so, it will not impede the long-term development goals, which include residential housing and commercial spaces slated to begin major construction in 2026.
The id8 Downsview Framework Plan is a master-planned community and joint venture by Northcrest Developments and Canada Lands Company. This extensive $30 billion redevelopment aims to convert 520 acres of land into 15 transit-oriented communities. The Hangar District, as the first phase of this redevelopment, will set the stage with its residential, commercial, and public spaces, beginning with over 2,850 new homes and six acres of new parks and urban spaces.
For the Hangar District, Northcrest plans to retrofit nearly 140,000m² of existing hangar space to include commercial and office spaces, alongside extensive employment uses, totaling close to 270,000m². An additional 204,000m² will be dedicated to residential space, with a significant portion of family-sized units including two or more bedrooms. This district will also feature sustainable building practices, including geothermal energy, and offer amenities such as a film studio campus and community retail spaces.
Adjacent developments such as Downsview West and Arbo add to the scope of id8 Downsview. Downsview West is set to introduce over 8,000 new residential units with 20% designated for affordable housing, as part of a 30-hectare transit-oriented development. Meanwhile, Arbo will soon launch its first phase, contributing an additional 1,400 units near the Downsview Park subway and GO stations.
Rogers Stadium and the subsequent redevelopment of the Downsview area are expected to deliver substantial economic and cultural benefits to the community. In the short term, the stadium will provide a significant boost by attracting large-scale concerts and events, leading to the longer-term transformation of the Downsview site into a comprehensive mixed-use community.
UrbanToronto will continue to follow progress on this development, but in the meantime, you can learn more about it from our Database file, linked below. If you'd like, you can join in on the conversation in the associated Project Forum thread or leave a comment in the space provided on this page.
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| Related Companies: | Aercoustics Engineering Ltd, EQ Building Performance Inc., Northcrest Developments, RWDI Climate and Performance Engineering, Urban Strategies Inc. |
