Woodbury Delays Dome Deflation at Bielenberg Sports Center

The ceaseless winter weather has delayed the deflation of the dome.

Woodbury on Monday announced that the deflation of the bubble at the Bielenberg Sports Center has been pushed back to 4:30 p.m. Monday, April 22.

It was initially scheduled for Wednesday.

Bringing down the BSC bubble, built in 1995, will mark a major step toward the city’s $21.8 expansion project, which calls for a new permanent field house, outdoor pleasure rink, and two-story lobby linking the new structure and existing ice arenas.

“The dome proved to be a functional and durable facility, standing tall through straight-line winds, severe thunderstorms and blizzards for more than 17 years,” Bob Klatt, Woodbury Parks and Recreation director, said in a release last week when the initial date was announced. “But we knew the fabric material wouldn’t last forever, and we’re excited to break ground on the new building.”

The public invited to watch the deflation event, which marks the start of construction on the 90,000-square-foot facility.

“Inflating the dome for the first time was an exciting event,” Klatt said. “It was a culmination of a long community-wide planning effort that included a successful voter-approved referendum needed to build the facility. Parks, streets, utilities and recreation staff worked collectively that day, bolting together pieces of fabric and laying out cables. Once we turned on the air-handling unit, it inflated like a big balloon in about an hour.”

Check out previous coverage of the project on Patch.

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