Two members of the Chancellor’s Workgroup on the Carrier Dome Backup Plan spoke this morning about the alternative location options and economic variables identified if the Carrier Dome was inoperable.

The point of the committee is to provide new, updated information for Chancellor Kent Syverud and the athletic department to keep in mind when considering backup plans for alternate game and event locations, said John Yinger, a trustee professor of public administration and economics and a member of the committee. Yinger spoke at the presentation along with Rick Burton, a professor of sport management who also serves on the committee.

Syverud appointed five members to the committee in late February and the committee presented its findings to him in May, according to an SU press release.

Yinger said the committee considered the options and costs of alternative locations for events and games. He added that there is no facility in New York that could hold a basketball game for the 24,000 people who have SU basketball season tickets besides the Dome.

Burton said the committee also reviewed the economic effects of losing particular games and events to the local economy. The committee also measured the economic effects that the Dome being inoperable would have on different groups, including the university, charities that rely on vendors for fundraising and the Syracuse Police Department, he said.

The committee explored various options that could cause the Dome to be nonfunctional, he said.

Some of the causes may be an electrical failure, a chemical spill on Route 81 near the facility or a roof failure, Burton said. A roof failure is the most likely cause for concern, he added. The roof of the Dome is made of six and a half acres of fabric and the weight of snow and ice can be a concern for deflation, Burton said.

When the weight of snow and ice threatened the stability of the Dome’s roof and caused a tear in 1990s, Burton said, the roof was deflated and the snow was removed.

The Dome has to be constantly managed by employees throughout the entire year because the generator that inflates the roof cannot be turned off, Burton said.

Yinger said the committee’s report was not a recommendation for Syverud and the athletic department, but the information reported might be useful for future decisions that could involve the creation of another facility to replace the 34-year-old Dome.

Said Yinger: “Obviously the Dome isn’t going to last forever.”

Published on June 19, 2014 at 8:27 pm

Contact Anna: almerod@syr.edu