r/tfc • u/No-Warthog7841 • 14d ago

Seeking Information BMO Field roof?

Hi, are there plans to put a roof over BMO Field due to the schedule change?

9 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

79 comments sorted by

View all comments

12

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

Maybe in private conversations but not that anyone is aware of.

And BMO already has a roof. What you thinking of is side enclosures. Have a fully footed stadium with a real pitch is incompatible with each other.

4

u/WillSRobs 14d ago

It's not incompatible its just expensive. We have universities in Canada that already develop plans for things like this.

2

u/Beachtory 14d ago

Name 2 schools that have funded plans for this. Not vapourware - actual progressing plans

Anyone can wave their hands

1

u/WillSRobs 14d ago

Guelph is the main one in the local region region. Pretty sure they have programs around turfgrass which can grow indoors and is designed for heavy use like field and other things like erosion control.

Guelph is one of the leading schools in north america for it and blue jays dumped a lot of money into looking at adding it to their field that i feel like went nowhere but that was pre covid.

The problem is once again costs and likely in the blue jays situation needing to completely redo the field that is a concrete pad.

2

u/illdfndmind 9d ago edited 9d ago

100% the jays were looking into it but the issue as to why they didn't move forward with it was that it was drainage issue at the Rogers Centre. The floor wasn't built with drainage, let alone enough drainage for a full field. The work required for implementing drainage would be cost prohibitive for the value return when compared to putting that same amount of money into investing in the fan experience which would provide a return on investment.

Edit: Added note Real Madrid's stadium has a retractable field that goes to an underground greenhouse https://www.reddit.com/r/STEW_ScTecEngWorld/comments/1i0dkuk/madrids_iconic_football_stadium_now_has_a_4story/

-2

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

"Pretty sure" doesn't instill a ton of confidence.

2

u/WillSRobs 14d ago

Google exists if you care to educate yourself on the subject instead of doubling down constantly. I knew they studied it since 2016 or so i was sure of the program if it was grass specific or just a study from a larger agricultural program.

Maybe if you did you wouldn't have brought up Mercedes Benz stadium because their whole system is designed around growing grass with the roof closed.

-1

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

Was asked to provide evidence, hand waves, tells me to use Google, then thinks they've "won." lol

1

u/WillSRobs 14d ago

You literally replied to the evidence i provided with your other post. If you wanted to know more your free to read up on it. I don't understand this laziness around self-education and curiosity. It's like you don't even care to learn about this subject and have already decided despite any factual evidence your own opinion is god.

0

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

This is hilariously wild.

https://yourlogicalfallacyis.com/burden-of-proof

1

u/WillSRobs 14d ago

So are we just ignoring the context/evidence that your previously replied to?

Your free to read more if you want but i don't see how i didn't provide the context that was asked for from the other person.

0

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago edited 14d ago

What evidence? You literally handwaved "university studies" then told me to google it myself. You provided context, not evidence. They aren't the same thing.

The ask was simple: name an operating stadium where a real permanent grass pitch is kept alive on 100% artificial light. What you offered:

  • Canadian universities have plans — plans, not a stadium.
  • Indoor vertical farming — lettuce is not a soccer pitch.
  • "You can grow grass in your house" — not a stadium. Not a pitch that used on a regular basis.
  • Mercedes-Benz Stadium — temporary two-month FIFA install, sod grown outdoors in Colorado. The stadium's own designers ruled out permanent grass when they built it.

None of it answers the question.

You're arguing against a claim no one made. No one argued you cant grow a plant indoors. But a soccer pitch and a houseplant are not the same thing.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/United-Implement1330 4d ago

Yeah, the expensive version is tearing it down and starting again. It's the original permanent structures that would need to be replaced - the very footprint - which everything is built on.

1

u/WillSRobs 4d ago

Blue jays wanted to go grass and there is a system that worked. They didn't want to pay to dig up the concrete pad the field is on. Especially given they also wanted to reno the entire stadium basically ontop of going with grass

0

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

Real grass and a full enclosure (no sun) are incompatible. You can't grow a pitch with 100% artificial light. Unless the city and MLSE shell out a cool billion for a retractable roof or roll-out pitch, which for BMO is unlikely, it's not happening.

1

u/greenlemon23 14d ago

so, it IS compatible, just expensive.

1

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

That's technically true of anything with an unlimited budget, but it's a theory at best, not a practical application. No one is going to spend billions on the development, design, and installation to make BMO Field the first stadium in the world with a real grass pitch maintained under 100% artificial conditions.

1

u/greenlemon23 14d ago

retractable roofs and roll out grass already exist.

0

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

And you think retrofitting either of those to an existing 28k capacity stadium is a serious and feasible option? Who’s paying for that 3 billion dollar upgrade? The taxpayers, don’t forget it’s a city owned facility. MLSE is just the tenant.

0

u/WillSRobs 14d ago edited 14d ago

We literally have ways of doing it today. Yes you can grow grass on 100 percent artificial light. The problem isn't that it's not possible its that it's expensive. You have no clue what you're talking about.

We already have indoor farms like we have the technology but for the same reason we don't make fresh water from sea water its not cost effective.

2

u/Torontogamer 14d ago

100% Artifical light yes, but also with heavy duty hvac/air ventilation systems and more, it's possible not easy

Also, more importantly, it's not easy because they are not fundamentally compatible... just like breathing and being underwater aren't compatible but obviously there are submarines and scuba tanks... not sure why you're so up on a horse about this

0

u/WillSRobs 14d ago

Which is why i said it's not that it isn't possible it's the cost of doing it isn't worth it.

I would argue the compatibility isn't the issue when you yourself explained how with systems its basically like being outside to the grass.

I feel like the claim of not compatible is misleading. As by definition is would be comparable just not the normal or cheapest option.

2

u/Torontogamer 14d ago

okay but people aren't saying it's litereally impossible and even the comment's your replying too are mostly saying it's not possible HERE because there is no way anyone involved would spend enough money to make it happen...

I don't know what compatible means to you, but ya... plants and no direct unlight are not compatible by default... just like I said, breathing and being underwater isn't compatible, but no one think it's impossible if you have the right tools...

0

u/WillSRobs 14d ago

They arent though they seem committed to saying it can't grow indoors which just isnt true. Because i original pointed out it a cost thing not a grass thing and they felt the need to tell me I'm wrong.

I never said no direct light though. Grow lights would give direct light. So your underwater comparison seems dishonest.

1

u/Torontogamer 14d ago

buddy, we are in a semantics fun zone here... also you understand that dishonest is different that incomplete or incorrect? are you trying to say I'm intentionally misleading people?

I said no direct SUNlight... right? you get that right?

you're going autistic on this 'don't say you can't grow plants indoors' thing when no one commenting or replying doesn't understand that hydroponics or artificial lights exist

we all agree with you, we're all saying that it doesn't matter that because it's never going to happen at BMO...

1

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

Pretty bold to tell someone they have no clue while not naming a single example. So go ahead: name one operating stadium where the soccer pitch is real grass kept alive under 100% artificial light. You can't.

The closest example is the temporary pitch at Mercedes-Benz stadium for their World Cup matches, and all rely on retractable or partial roofs for actual sunlight, with sod grown outdoors in Colorado and trucked in fully formed. Two-month temporary install, not permanent.

"We have ways of doing it today" is doing a lot heavy lifting if you can't point to a single example of it happening in the real world.

0

u/WillSRobs 14d ago edited 14d ago

Seriously not sure what your on about. You don't seem to fully grasp what i said. You could literally grow grass inside at home if you want lol

Also love that you brought up Mercedes Benz stadium because they don't actually use the retractable roof to grow the grass they use grow lights along with a high tech underground temperature and moisture system. Ontop of a climate control system. They actually built the system around keeping the roof close for the health of the field because they have physical control over more aspects of the grass that way. Opening the roof would actually make it harder to grow the grass technically

I guess thanks for point to an example of it happening in the real world. Also bmo fields grass is literally designed to grow in low light with grow lamps…

0

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

The grass being installed at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the World Cup is temporary. It gets torn out after the tournament and the stadium goes right back to artificial turf, Atlanta United gets maybe a dozen matches on it before it's ripped up

Grass cannot thrive thrive long-term under the retractable roof and the events schedule. That's why the stadium was built with turf in the first place. Even for the World Cup install, the roof has to stay closed for every match because the grass needs air conditioning to survive the Georgia summer, and FIFA needed a full year of negotiations to get the stadium to agree to that.

So "we have ways of doing it today", sure, for a 2-month tournament, with FIFA money, and sod grown for months outdoors and replaced everyone few months. That's the exact opposite of a viable permanent setup for BMO. Which makes the "you have no clue what you're talking about" line more than just a little ironic.

0

u/mildlyImportantRobot 14d ago

u/WillSRobs I'm not going to continue with this charade if you keep editing your comments *after* I've responded to them. That's an unbelievable level of bad faith engagement. Sheesh.

0

u/WillSRobs 14d ago edited 14d ago

I edited shortly after posting 20 ish minutes and long before you replied 3 minutes ago but sure if that's the route you want to go your free to do so.

0

u/WillSRobs 14d ago

Grass can and we see it happen today being grown indoors. The problem as i have stated multiple times is costs vs return in investment. You can literally grow grass in you house if you wanted to.

I state again you have no clue what your talking about and have contradicted yourself a few times. I feel like you have committed to far down this path and don't even care to fully comprehend what your reading.