Syracuse Univ. has announced that it will "add a permanent roof to the Carrier Dome and other improvements as part of a project estimated to cost at least" $255M, according to a front-page piece by Chris Carlson of the Syracuse POST-STANDARD. The permanent roof "should make the Carrier Dome a fixture for SU athletic events for the foreseeable future." The school said that the new roof "is estimated to cost" $105M. Upgrades to the The Archbold gymnasium "are estimated to cost" $50M, while another $100M "will be spent to comply with ADA regulations at both sites and to make Carrier Dome upgrades." Outside of a permanent roof, upgrades "have not been determined, and neither has a timeframe for the renovation." The decision to add a permanent roof "eliminates the need to replace the roof approximately every 20 years as well as the costs associated with keeping it permanently inflated." Syracuse hired Populous "to serve as a consultant during their decision-making process" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 5/17). Syracuse VP & Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala said that the Carrier Dome roof "will be made from the same material as Minnesota's U.S. Bank Stadium." He said, "The biggest change you'll see is not having the white pillows when you walk in the door. You'll see a steel structural framework that's typical of newer stadiums today." Carlson notes the new roof "creates a more outdoor experience, seemingly providing an answer to Syracuse football fans who complain about spending the region's beautiful fall days inside a covered building" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 5/17).
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS: Sala said that SU "hopes to avoid moving any football or basketball games" while the new roof is constructed. He added that avoiding having to move games away from the dome was "one of the school's primary requests to its building partners." Sala noted that keeping games on campus "was a priority for the school and factored into its ultimate selection of Turner Construction Company" (Syracuse POST-STANDARD, 5/17).
