Carrier Dome to undergo facelift, new fan experience
The skyline to the City of Syracuse is about to have a whole new look.
The Carrier Dome isn't going anywhere, but it's white-Teflon bubbly roof that's become an indelible part of the city's look is soon to be a thing of the past.
Syracuse University announced Monday a campus renovation plan that will cost north of $250 million, a large portion of that will go to the Carrier Dome and replacing its roof.
The current "bubble" will soon be replaced by a permanent steel roof.
Don't let the word "steel" fool you, it's part of a new technology that is actually translucent. More light will filter through the new roof than what gets through the Carrier Dome's current roof.
Quite frankly, it will look stunning.
Syracuse University Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala refers to the Minnesota Vikings stadium as a guideline for what the roof here might look like.
Sala says there is no timeline for when construction on the project will begin or how long it will take to complete.
He says the goal is to make sure that no football or basketball games have to be moved, but at this time he can't confirm whether or not that will occur.
The new roof will actually be engineered to fit around the current stadium ring, something Sala calls "unique"
The roof renovation is the one part of the Carrier Dome project that is confirmed and definitely happening.
There's a fan experience portion which has a bit more mystery surrounding it.
Sala confirmed during interviews several ideas that are on the table, but at this time, it's just way too early to tell whether or not those ideas will actually happen.
Some of the amenities being considered by SU include wider concourses, a change to the seating in the lower bowl, railings for the upper level, a massive scoreboard to hang from the center of the roof since the steel structure could support it, and yes even air conditioning.
For fans of the Carrier Dome, it's great news, one of the hallmark buildings in our city is here to stay. The Dome is getting a modernization that will make it viable for decades to come.
Sala told a story about the recent Luke Bryan concert there. He mentions that Bryan's officials were touring the facility and asked if the Carrier Dome was "six or seven years old". A statement that made Sala chuckle.
But he used it as an example to how viable the Carrier Dome still is, an idea that becomes fact with the upcoming renovation.
