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UMaine to Repair, Re-inflate Damaged Sports Dome

It may take more than a week to obtain estimates for repairs to a 38,000-square-foot inflatable sports dome at the University of Maine.

The Mahaney Dome collapsed early Friday morning under the weight of several inches of heavy, wet snow. Will Biberstein, UMaine’s senior associate athletic director for internal operations, says university officials are surveying the repair site, which bears little resemblance to the formerly inflated dome.

“You would see six emergency doors and one primary door standing up and the Teflon-coated material that is the dome resting on the field turf field beneath it with some it being slightly snow-covered right now,” he says.

Biberstein says the damaged multipurpose dome, which serves as an indoor practice field for Black Bear sports teams, now requires a thorough inspection before it can be re-inflated for further use.

“Upcoming weather will be a factor,” he says. “Our current plan is to try to repair the damage to the exterior of the dome and re-inflate it, and at that time we can assess what the total damage is of the facility.”

Last week’s snowstorm marks the second time weather has damaged the structure, constructed in 2006 with a $1 million contribution from the familiy of the late Larry Mahaney. In 2007, another winter storm tore through the building’s fabric exterior, causing a collapse.