The inflated sports facility in Anchorage known as the Dome recently launched a campaign to help fund the replacement of its iconic fabric shell.
Without the funding, the nonprofit operating the facility might have to close the Dome permanently.
Dome CEO Curtis Penney said the inflated structure is near the end of its lifespan.
“Dome fabrics just like this last between 20 and 25 years,” Penney said. “This was a planned component that we have known about. We're now at the point that we've largely done what we can, and we're now opening it up to the whole community to help us get to the finish line.”
A third of the Dome was replaced after heavy snow collapsed the frame in 2017. Contributions this year will go to replacing the entire aging shell, Penney said.
The Dome has been the home of the state's largest indoor field for nearly 20 years. About 1,000 people use the facility daily, and teams from all across the state enjoy its amenities, Penney said.
The nonprofit is seeking $6 million, with the goal of replacing the exterior next summer, before the Dome’s 20th anniversary in October of 2027. The facility’s operators have already received contributions from philanthropic grants and corporate sponsors.
Jonathan Rubini, chairman and CEO of JL Properties, has contributed up to $2 million of the funding so far through multiple foundations, the Dome said in a press release.
Rubini also stepped in when the Dome collapsed in 2017, spearheading the reconstruction. The project cost nearly $7.5 million, Rubini told the Anchorage Daily News at the time.
This time, the replacement fabric is expected to last 25 years before another replacement would be due, Penney said. But if the exterior isn’t replaced, the facility could close permanently, he said.
“The reality is that if the dome's funding for the fabric replacement is not secured, then yes, we will have to cease operations of the facility,” Penney said.
As of Monday, the nonprofit had raised more than $4.5 million.
