Thanks to Clothesline Laundromat and Inver Grove Ford for their support.
The West St. Paul Regional Athletics Center, known as the dome, is looking dirty. So what happened?
- Why so dirty?: “We’re not exactly sure why the dome roof got so dirty, but our assumption is an accumulation from the wildfire smoke,” said Parks Director Eric Weiss.
- What do you do?: “With the forecast of a wet, snowy winter, we’re hoping to get a free cleaning from Mother Nature and gravity,” said Weiss.
- If that doesn’t work?: They’ll re-assess in the spring if a Minnesota winter doesn’t take care of it. Weiss wasn’t sure how it could be cleaned.
Dome Repairs
The dome is also facing water intrusion on the east side.
- What’s the problem: It’s damaging the emergency exit canopy footings and will need to be repaired before it gets worse.
- Cost: The price tag to fix it is expected to be close to $1 million. The city does have money in the dome fund to cover the cost.
- Roof: That dome fund is intended to cover roof replacement and other repairs, with a roof replacement expected in the next few years. But good news—city staff think the roof might last longer than expected. “Circumstances could change depending on several factors, but we think we might be able to get an additional 10 years out of the roof than planned,” said Weiss.
- When: The city hopes to address the issue in 2026.
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