For almost the entirety of Syracuse men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim’s coaching career, the Carrier Dome’s iconic air-supported roof has remained a staple of SU’s campus, but from 2020 onward, a new frame will dominate the skyline.

Three years ago, Syracuse University announced renovations to the Carrier Dome as a part of its Campus Framework plan, a 20-year guideline for physical campus development. Many of the major improvements are expected to be completed by the fall of 2020, including a new roof, hanging scoreboard, lighting and sound changes, a larger Wi-Fi network and improvements to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Here’s what to expect from the ongoing construction process for the renovated Carrier Dome.

1. Changing timeline

Originally, University Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer Pete Sala announced that the construction of the new steel roof would commence in May 2020, and the impact on Syracuse Athletics during the 2019-2020 season would be minimal. In April, the timeline was shifted to include all Syracuse Athletics vacating the Carrier Dome on March 1.

That could impact late-season men’s and women’s basketball play as well as home games for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. Commencement activities will be affected. A more concrete timeline is expected to be released early in the fall semester.

2. Advantages

The new roof is expected to have a 40-year lifespan, more than double its predecessor’s, and include less costs for maintenance. Inside, air conditioning and new bathrooms will bring it back up to modern standards. A new LED lighting system will turn on faster after power outages, and better Wi-Fi will also help make the gameday experience better, especially for students.

“What it’s going to be when it’s renovated is the best building between New York and Toronto,” Director of Athletics John Wildhack said in April.

3. No more inflatable roof

Without the inflatable bubble, there will no longer be concern of clearing off snow from the roof during winters. There will also no longer be an air-lock system, making the building more friendly to hosting concerts and other non-sporting events that require materials to be transported in and out of the building quickly. 

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4. Natural light?

The amount of natural light entering the Dome will not be vastly different to what it is now. In 2016, Sala said the roof would be built with ethylene tetrafluoroethylene, a fluorine-based plastic, which resembles glass and is used in Minnesota’s U.S. Bank Stadium.

However, making the Dome suitable for basketball with that material would have been difficult and added costs, so it was scrapped. The new roof will make the building more transparent, and over the summer, Wildhack said men’s basketball head coach Jim Boeheim was able to run camps without turning on artificial lighting until 6 or 7 p.m.

5. Jumbotron

A new four-sided hanging scoreboard will be added along with the roof, which will have a “wow factor” for the fans, Wildhack said in April. The scoreboard may be portable — SU could move it to the center of the Dome for football games or to the side for basketball games.

6. Funding

SU Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Amir Rahnamay-Azar said in 2018 the $118 million used to fund the renovations will come from three sources: fundraising, school reserves and borrowing. More than $6 million of the funds will go toward ADA compliance. That includes elevators, accessible seating, closed captioning software and five ADA electronic door operators. 

7. Amenities

While major changes such as the roof are expected to be completed in time for the 2020 football season, other minor changes will continue until 2022. Air conditioning, enhanced bathrooms and new concession spaces have been listed for the longer timeline. Sala has said SU is also considering replacing some of its seating. Aesthetically, Syracuse will feature a new skyline with the addition of steel crusts stretching above the bubble-roof shape of the Dome.

Daily Orange File Photo

8. Parking during the process

Because of construction on the Dome, parking at the rear of the Quad parking lot will remain limited through winter break. Quad permit holders will still have access, but Service permits will only be honored based on availability. Loading docks at Falk College and Heroy Geology Laboratory will remain open. 

9. Crane

An 1,100-ton crane with a boom reaching 580 feet will be used in the construction of the new steel crust roof. While construction continues with this crane, the stairs leading up to the Gate C area will remain open, Sala said. Fans and visiting teams will come in through that entrance during the 2019-20 season.

A large crane pad by Gates N, E and P will feature an 800-ton crane also in place for some of the football season. When the new roof around that area is built, the crane will move to Gates F, G and H, where it will be disassembled after finishing its work.

10. New roof, same name

Rahnamay-Azar said in 2018 that the Dome renovations will not alter Syracuse’s relationship with Carrier Corp., a heating and air conditioning company which has had naming rights for the Dome since 1979. But, SU did remove all 64 mentions of “Carrier” in its football media guide, Syracuse.com reported on Aug. 21. 

Published on August 21, 2019 at 12:52 pm

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