free
wednesday
feb. 5, 2014 high 27°, low 9°
t h e i n de p e n de n t s t u de n t n e w s pa p e r of s y r a c u s e , n e w yor k |
O • Report card
The Daily Orange Editorial Board gives low marks to Whitman’s new grading policy.
Page 5
dailyorange.com
P • In the spray paint
S • Changing the grade
SU alum curates graffiti from the 1960s and 1970s for an exhibit in New York City. Page 9
Alin Edouard was once committed to play at Miami (Fla.) but is now leading a very impressive Syracuse recruiting class. Page 16
still standing
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One of the last of its kind, the Dome remains well-maintained
Bill allows for wage increases By Annie Palmer news editor
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The Carrier Dome, which opened in 1980, is one of the last stadiums with an air-supported roof. Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner recently formed a task force to look into the possible effects that building a new downtown stadium would have on the city. luke rafferty video editor By Dylan Segelbaum staff writer
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he Carrier Dome is part of a dying breed: the large, airsupported roof stadium. On Jan. 18, the roof of the Metrodome — the former home of the Minnesota Vikings —was deflated, and the stadium will be knocked down soon. A year earlier, the roof of the Silverdome in Pontiac, Mich., was deflated and later damaged in a storm, according to a lawsuit the stadium’s owners filed against their insurance company in federal court. And in 2008, the RCA Dome was torn down as the Indianapolis Colts moved into a new stadium with a retractable roof. With no money in Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s 2014-15 executive budget for a proposed 44,000-seat, $495 million downtown stadium near Syracuse Stage, the Dome — at least for now — remains. And, quite possibly, the only other stadium that’s left like it is the Tokyo Dome, about 6,553 miles away from Syracuse, N.Y. But interviews with employees from
companies that inspect or are involved with the Dome indicate that while it may not be on the cutting-edge of technology, the arena is not deteriorating. In fact, with the exception of the roof, some say the Dome does not have a set lifespan if it’s maintained. “I see a lot of venues,” said David Campbell, principal and CEO of Geiger Engineers who was involved with the original project. “It’s probably arguably one of the best maintained anywhere, and certainly of its age.” Geiger Berger Associates engineered the Dome. Former employees of the company started Geiger Engineers, Campbell said. Last year, he said, the company looked at changes that could be made to the stadium to improve it from an “operational,” “spectator” and “athletic” standpoint. Campbell said he couldn’t go into more detail. Rich Applebaum, president of Klepper, Hahn and Hyatt, an East Syracuse company that inspects the Dome every two years, said only a “minor part” of the stadium ever sees problems. Applebaum said there have been issues with maintaining the Dome’s
ramps in the past because they’re heavily salted. But the time in between repairs has increased, he said. And life expectancy, he said, has never been discussed. “I think it’s really more at what point does the usage become obsolete? More than, ‘When is the Dome going to fall down?’” Applebaum said. “Because it really depends on how you maintain the building.” The Dome’s managing director, Pete Sala, agreed to an interview about two
up in the air The Carrier Dome roof was last replaced in 1999 as a precaution. It cost $14 million, $4 million of which came from New York state. weeks ago. He did not return 16 phone calls and two emails. In a letter to Syracuse’s mayor dated Jan. 23, SU’s stadium consultant wrote the Dome remains “a quality facility,” but will need significant improvements
as it ages. One of those is a new roof. The university replaced the Dome’s 6.5-acre roof as a precaution in 1999, about 19 years after the stadium opened. The original roof had to be deflated several times because of snow. New York state kicked in more than $4 million toward the $14 million roof replacement project. The new roof is built with a stronger material and has at least a 30-year lifespan, said Dave Ricci, director of customer service and warranty for Birdair Inc., the company that manufactured the original and replacement roofs. The current roof would be 30 years old in 2029. Ricci, who was a part of both roof projects, said Birdair inspects the roof of the Dome every few years. He said it’s up to SU to release the latest inspection, but there was “nothing detrimental” in the most recent report. When the Dome was built, Ricci said, air-supported roofs were state of the art. But the drawback is that they are less durable and require “mechanical components,” such as fans, to keep them up. “So, air-supported stadiums are still see dome page 8
With the introduction of new legislation, Syracuse University students who hold federal work-study positions could see an increase in their minimum wage. The New York state Senate reviewed a bill Wednesday that would allow localities, or state municipalities, to determine their own minimum wage rates. In his Jan. 28 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama proposed to raise minimum wage for all federal contract workers to $10.10 an hour. The new legislation would allow localities to raise wages above this value, said Blair Horner, legislative director for the New York Public Interest Research Group. “If the Syracuse City Council wants to bump up minimum wage, they can,” Horner said. This isn’t the first time the state has addressed raising wages: Last March, Governor Andrew Cuomo approved a piece of state legislation that would raise the state’s minimum wage in three steps. The state originally floored the minimum wage at $7.25 per hour, but in his 2013 budget, Cuomo approved raising the budget to $8.00 per hour by the end of 2013. By 2014, the wage would reach $8.75 per hour, and would be capped at $9.00 by the end of 2015. In New York state, Horner said there is more support than opposition for raising the minimum wage, but some still remain wary that increasing wages could make it more difficult for lower income businesses to afford to hire employees. He said legislators feel like they have to “thread the needle” between raising the minimum wage and making sure it doesn’t hurt small businesses. The minimum wage increase had no adverse effects on student employment opportunities — both work study and non-work study, Camille Donabella, manager see wages page 4