Rosemont hopes to be done with sports dome repairs by winter
Softball teams can play outside while the weather is nice, but once snow starts falling, they'll likely be looking to Rosemont's indoor sports dome so they can keep playing year-round.
And so village officials are hopeful roof repairs at the 140,000-square-foot facility will be complete by that time, though an exact timeline is unknown.
Mayor Brad Stephens said Wednesday the village's insurance adjuster and the dome's manufacturer Arizon are still putting together a plan to fix the roof, which was ripped off the facility Aug. 2 in a heavy storm.
Some of the roof material may be salvageable, though it's also possible a new roof will be installed, Stephens said.
The plastic air-suspended covering is made up of 10 individual 125-by-125-foot pieces. When inflated by high-powered fans, the dome rises as high as seven stories.
Village officials believe insurance and their 20-year warranty for the roof should cover repair costs.
The three-year-old sports venue, located west of the Tri-State Tollway and north of Balmoral Avenue, cost the village $2.4 million to build.
Stephens said users of the dome have had to find other places to play or hold their clinics.
"Obviously we have a business interruption. But fortunately, there wasn't a lot planned for the summer," he said.
Meanwhile, the village is now soliciting proposals to keep the turf field in order, which could include getting a cover to protect it from the elements.
Damage to the neighboring softball stadium where the Chicago Bandits play was minor by comparison. A left field bullpen fence was bent.