Eastern Michigan Athletics
St. Joe's Sports Dome
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The word came early on a chilly, but calm Sunday morning, Feb. 7, 2010. After a series of delays caused by snow and wind — and with a big storm coming later that week — it was time to raise the roof on Eastern Michigan's new indoor, multi-purpose athletic practice facility.
Workers started at 7 a.m. and, by 9 a.m., the big, white, synthetic roof had billowed to its full height. Inside, members of EMU's physical plant staff and construction workers admired the expansive space and thought of the athletes that would bring the place to life in the months to come.
"The kids are going to have a ball in here," said John Donegan, chief of operations for EMU's Physical Plant.
It was an improbable event, considering work on completing such a facility and inflating the roof took place heading into and during a Michigan winter. But mild late fall weather helped workers and staff accomplish a great deal, such as pouring 2.5 million pounds of footings concrete.
"We had a phenomenal November," Donegan said.
Light snow in January also helped. The area experienced less than 10 inches that year, compared to more than 30 inches in 2009. A one-inch dusting of snow delayed the inflation, but only for several days.
"We definitely won on the snow front," Donegan said. "If we'd have had a rough winter, this would have been a tough situation."
The facility, which costs $3.9 million, is located on Westview Drive, off Huron River Drive, at the northeast corner of Rynearson Stadium.
The building will enable EMU's collegiate athletic teams and the Ypsilanti community to continue playing and practicing despite inclement weather. The facility will support intramural, recreational and club sporting events, as well as local sports leagues.
The facility is 410 feet long, 210 feet wide and 75 feet tall. It includes a welcome center and convertible space that can be configured for a football field, an international soccer field or four youth soccer fields. Leasing revenues are projected to cover maintenance and operating costs.
Despite the light Sunday mood, plenty of work remained after the inflation. Workers had to unfreeze the ground, level the concrete, install synthetic turf and complete the welcome center. The parking lot was then completed in warmer weather.
The Board of Regents approved the plan for the indoor facility at its June 2009 meeting, and it was unanimously approved by the state’s Joint Capital Outlay Subcommittee in September.
The project was funded by the 2005 tuition increase, four percent of which was specifically dedicated to enhance the university’s infrastructure. The four percent increase (or approximately $4.4 million) has accumulated for the past four years, creating a pool of $17.6 million.