Turfgrass to replace artificial turf at Toronto's BMO Field
12 Sep, 2009TORONTO, CANADA — BMO Field, home to the MLS Toronto FC as well as Canada's National Soccer Team is expected to replace its 2-year-old FieldTurf field with natural grass, reports the Toronto Star.
The Star reported Sept. 12 that the board of governors of Exhibition Place, where BMO Field is located, voted in favor of a proposal by TFC owner Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to replace the artificial turf at the city-owned stadium in time for next season.
BMO Field, with a capacity of 20,000, opened in April 2007. It was built on the site of the former Exhibition Stadium, which was home to the MLB Toronto Blue Jays, until the team's move to the Skydome in 1989.
This past August, a temporary turfgrass field was installed at BMO when Toronto FC hosted Real Madrid. The visiting Spanish team won 5-1.
The proposal to take out the artificial turf and put in turfgrass is expected to be considered by the Toronto city council Sept. 30, reports the Star.
“TFC could be on grass by start of next season,” by Daniel Girard, The Toronto Star, Sept. 12