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Ice and snow force Athlete Institute to deflate outdoor dome

April 23, 2018   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The Athlete Institute on Highway 9, has a somewhat different profile this week after the familiar dome at the rear of the facility was reduced to a flattened pile that looks more like a giant beach toy that lost its air.

The structure was brought down in a controlled collapse after pressure from ice build-up on the roof started causing problems.

The weekend ice storm and inclement weather had been depositing snow and ice on the roof and facility staff noticed it was putting a lot of pressure on the dome.

The decision was made to reduce pressure inside the dome and bring it down in a controlled collapse rather that wait and risk damage to the facility.

A spokesperson for the Institute confirmed the air pressure inside the dome was never compromised.

“We monitored the situation over  24 to 36 hours. We removed equipment including the lights to avoid the risk of damage.”

Once the equipment was removed the pressure was released and the dome collapsed on its own.

It will likely be a few weeks before the structure is inflated and operational again.

The spokesperson could not confirm a date when the dome will be back in operation but said they are hoping to have it up and running by the end of April. However it may take longer, depending on the weather.

The structure is still covered in a lot of ice and snow that will have to be removed or melt away before the dome can be pressurized.

In the meantime, some groups that have been using the dome as a practice facility have moved inside to one of the Athlete Institute’s gyms.

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