Phase one of BMO field's $146-million renovation is complete ahead of next year's FIFA World Cup. CBC's Dale Manucdoc got a tour.

Toronto

BMO Field in Toronto is being renovated in preparation for the FIFA World Cup, with the transformation occurring in two phases. The first phase, now complete, includes permanent additions such as luxury suites for dignitaries, upgraded video production facilities, a new kitchen, and four large video boards. The upgrades are funded by Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, contributing $23 million, and the City of Toronto, covering the remaining $123 million.

The most significant challenge is expanding the stadium's capacity by 17,000 seats, bringing the total to over 45,000. Temporary and permanent seating is being added, including a rooftop patio for future events. Security measures will involve checkpoints set away from the stadium, and transportation plans include enhanced public transit and limited parking. The project remains on schedule and within budget, with the stadium set to be handed over to FIFA ahead of the tournament.

A first look at BMO's FIFA transformation

Transforming BMO Field into Toronto Stadium for the FIFA World Cup is happening in two phases. The first is complete and contains several permanent elements like luxury suites which will be used for heads of states and other global stakeholders during the tournament. There's an upgraded video production control room, a new kitchen and these four new video boards, approximately 50 by 30 feet. So fans will have a pretty amazing experience and really anywhere in the stadium, especially when you have these curved L-shaped screens here. The head of FIFA's Toronto operations and the chief operating officer for Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment guided the tour. MLSC is pitching in $23 million to upgrade BMO Field which it manages for the city. Toronto is footing the rest of the bill at $123 million. The biggest challenge is adding 17,000 seats to bring the venue's capacity to just over 45,000. 7,000 temporary seats are being added to the south end, 10,000 to the north where a two-level hospitality area is going and will also live past the World Cup. And then what we're going to do when the temporary seating above the hospitality area gets taken down is we're going to convert sort of the rooftop of that new structure into a general admission rooftop patio for TFC, Argos and other fans of the various events that happen here. That area will add about 1,000 permanent spaces for fans. And there is an outer perimeter that has been identified and it is quite far from the stadium. Meanwhile, officials also providing some insight into how they intend to manage traffic and crowds with security checkpoints a fair distance away from the actual entrance. We'll be moving fans through what we call the last mile that will be animated and have activations that will make it interesting and hopefully fun to be part of that sort of chain and pathway to get into the stadium itself. The mobility plan is still being finalized and will be largely dependent on what time matches will be played. There will be transportation hubs for both GO service and increased TTC streetcar service. There will be very limited parking. Work on phase two will begin shortly after the Women's Northern Super League plays its championship match on November 17th. Officials say everything is on time and on budget so far. We have to hand the stadium over to FIFA 30 days before the first match, so May 12th, 2026. So between now and then there's a lot of work to do obviously. The Canadian men will play their first ever World Cup match on home soil on June 12th. Dale Minakda, CBC News, Toronto.

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