Name proposed for the Dome was fitting

Re Dome plan strikes out on many levels,

Micallef, Dec. 5

I was disappointed when the name of the SkyDome was changed to fulfill the ego of corporate suits. “SkyDome” was the people’s name for what was an incredible architectural achievement and which was also predominately paid for by that same public.

I always refer to the structure as SkyDome, even though it is now long SkyDone. But my favourite name for the structure is the one I submitted: “ConDome,” which was short for Convertible Dome, but also reflected the prophylactic nature of the protection it would provide from rain and snow.

That name, ConDome, subsequently and unwittingly, became an appropriate label representing the con game by Rogers and others to purchase the building for cents on the dollar.

Alas, now they want to tear it down. Peter Pinch, Toronto

To quote: “It’s true a lot of baseball fans find the stadium unwelcoming and not as pleasant an experience as many of the new retro style stadiums.”

Say what?

Is demolishing a perfectly functioning stadium to build another now down to fashion sense?

And how many baseball fans are we really talking about when the story says “a lot?”

Rogers’ purchase of the the stadium, built at a cost of half a billion taxpayer dollars, for a paltry sum slipped through the cracks back then.

Will taxpayers be faced with a similar sweetheart deal for the owners?

Surely, there are more urgent priorities in Toronto than tearing down and rebuilding a functioning stadium?

Ken Puddicombe, Brampton

Columnist Shawn Micallef gives several reasons for putting a stop to the SkyDome’s long history of misadventure. It began with the design of the flashy dome, which didn’t connect to the surrounding neighbourhood, but sits on the concrete like an unidentified flying object. It cost tax payers hundreds of millions of dollars to build and later sold to Rogers for a relative pittance.

Now developers want to tear it down, adding tremendous environmental waste and pollution, so they can build another thicket of high-rises on Toronto’s waterfront.

When this scheme was mentioned briefly last summer, the phrase “landgrab” came to mind.

The iconic view that sets Toronto apart from other waterfront cities shows the CN Tower and the SkyDome. It is beautiful and worth more money than even Rogers can fathom.

Leave it be!

Ulla Colgrass, Toronto

So “a lot” of baseball fans find the SkyDome unwelcoming? That would exclude those who recall sitting for hours ankle-deep in water cascading down the rows at Exhibition Stadium waiting for the game to be called (a reality which any open-air stadium offers), or those who save their money, pick a date, buy a slew of tickets, rent a bus and come from London or Kingston, Ont., knowing that they’ll see a game and not be stuck with useless rain-checks.

Or those who regularly fill the place whenever the Jays field a competitive team.

Those are the fans.

Listen to them, not to the suits, like Shapiro or the guys from the corner offices of Rogers or Brookfield!

Ab Dukacz, Mississauga