MPR’s Cathy Wurzer interviews Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, about the status of Metrodome after roof collapse from heavy snow on December 12, 2010.
Due to a combination of 17-inch snowfall and heavy winds, on the early morning hours of December 12th, three roof panels tore, sending a cascade of snow onto the football field. There were no injuries, but the roof had to ultimately be replaced.
CATHY WURZER: It's Morning Edition on Minnesota Public Radio news. I'm Cathy Wurzer. It's making national news-- the collapse of the Metrodome's Teflon roof from a potent combination of a lot of snow and high winds over the weekend. Experts from the company that built the Metrodome's puffy white roof will be in the Twin Cities today.
Crews will assess the damage to the dome and help craft a plan to fix it. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission runs the Metrodome. Bill Lester is its executive director. He joins us this morning on the phone. Good morning, Bill.
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): Good morning, Cathy. How are you?
CATHY WURZER: I'm fine. The Fox Sports video of the roof tearing with the snow falling onto the field is amazing footage. What condition is the Metrodome in this morning?
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): It's in its deflated condition. So on the upside, we're very proud of the fact that no one was killed, no one was injured, and now we just have to attack the problem of fixing those three panels that failed and see how we're going to get it back up as soon as possible.
CATHY WURZER: Any damage to the field? With all that snow that piled on it, any problems with that at this point?
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): No. The field turf is brand-new. It's asphalt, the floor of it. And then it's artificial turf. And that'll be fine. We'll be able to a combination of vacuum and dry-vac it and get that back up, and then we'll condition it. So the turf won't sustain any damage. And none of the other systems of the building, the concessions delivery system, restrooms, all of those other things you need to operate a stadium, at least from our inspection thus far, are no problem.
CATHY WURZER: I would presume it's fairly cold on the field right now because, of course, you have a big hole in the roof.
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): Yeah, it's absolutely freezing. In fact, it does give you a taste of what outdoor football might be like in Minnesota in December.
CATHY WURZER: Any changes in procedures needed or measures or new equipment that could be put in place that could prevent this from happening again?
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): No, I don't think so. In the early days, there were three deflations in '82 and '83. And then we refined the snow melt system. And for the last 28 years, there have been no problems.
The system worked as we designed it to do with the discussion today with the representatives of Bird Air, today and tomorrow, we'll see if there's any additional measures. But first and foremost for us is the safety of the fans, patrons, and users of the stadium. So we take care of that first, and then we'll figure out if there are any other steps we have to do with the roof.
CATHY WURZER: At this point, do you have any idea of when the roof might be fixed? Do you have to patch it? Do you put in new panels? Any idea of what to do with the repairs at this point?
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): Well, there are two or three panels in reserve that the other fabric roof around the state of the nation, like Syracuse Silverdome still have. And they were right on it, telling us we could use whatever they have. And then there's a method of patching that's Teflon-coated fiberglass. It's 1/32 of an inch thick.
So it's very strong. It's been up there for 28 years. And still we tested it last summer, and it still exceeds the original specifications for the bid. So you can iron on some patches. We just have to assess. That'll be taking place over the next two days.
CATHY WURZER: As you've obviously heard, there are many fans who think that this collapse means that the Metrodome is obsolete. You have to get rid of it, build a new stadium. What do you say to that?
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): Well, the stadium is functional economically for the Vikings to maximize revenues and compete with the other teams in the NFL. New stadium, a reconstructed stadium, would offer those opportunities. But from a functional standpoint, from the structure itself, there's a lot of concrete there. And though maybe not the most aesthetic building in the world, it functionally could last a while longer.
CATHY WURZER: And finally, I understand I know you're going to be making decisions on this, but what's your gut feel? Might the Vikings be able to play next Monday in the dome against the bears?
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): I'm just very hesitant to say, absent consulting with the experts today.
CATHY WURZER: Bill Lester, thank you for joining us.
BILL LESTER (ON PHONE): You bet, Cathy. Have a great day.
Views and opinions expressed in the content do not represent the opinions of APMG. APMG is not responsible for objectionable content and language represented on the site. Please use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report a piece of content. Thank you.
Transcriptions provided are machine generated, and while APMG makes the best effort for accuracy, mistakes will happen. Please excuse these errors and use the "Contact Us" button if you'd like to report an error. Thank you.