Blue Jays outline Dunedin renovations proposal

TORONTO — The Blue Jays have taken the first step in making sure that the city of Dunedin, Fla., will remain their Spring Training home for at least another 25 years.

Toronto president Mark Shapiro and a contingent of Blue Jays officials attended a city council meeting in Dunedin on Monday night to outline the club’s proposed agreement.

The proposal includes renovations of the Florida Auto Exchange Stadium and the club’s Minor League complex, which is approximately a 10-minute drive from the ballpark. According to the Tampa Bay Times, the deal is worth $81 million, with Toronto contributing approximately $15.7 million of that amount.

“It was a first step in us engaging the community, it was the first step in us communicating some specificity to the program, and I think a very important first step in a collaborative effort with our city in an extension of our lease and a renovation of our current renovation for Spring Training,” Shapiro said during a conference call on Tuesday afternoon.

“It afforded us the opportunity to talk about what’s most important to us in a Spring Training facility moving forward, and really that is to get rid of the — ‘Spring Training facility.’ That is a misnomer. And to build a …

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