Regents approve $26.3M plan for DakotaDome renovation
The South Dakota Board of Regents on Wednesday approved a $26.3 million renovation to the DakotaDome to be sent to the 2018 state legislature.
The renovation plan passed unanimously at the regents meeting in Sioux Falls on Wednesday, paving the way for the University of South Dakota to continue fundraising and submit a request for proposal to architects by the end of the month.
“A lot of the improvements will be in upgrades that you can’t see – things like the locker rooms and offices,” USD athletic director David Herbster said. “But there will be a lot of things you will notice, too, like the sound system, the lighting and the renovation of the seating on the west side.”
The DakotaDome, which opened as a multi-sport venue in 1979 at a cost of $8.2 million, originally had an air-inflated roof. It was replaced by a permanent roof in 2001 at a cost of $13.7 million and has since undergone occasional minor improvements.
With the completion of the adjoining Sanford Coyote Sports Center in 2016, several of the sports originally housed in the DakotaDome were moved to the arena.
The next step in USD's plan to renovate its athletic facilities then turned to the dome, with expansion of the football locker room, the addition of football offices and replacing the portable bleachers on the west side with permanent seating. Additional restrooms, concessions areas and infrastructure updates are also planned.
USD hired Davis Design in 2014 to do an infrastructure study of the facility, which determined a need to update lighting, HVAC systems, electrical and plumbing systems, fire system and sound system.
The study also identified the need for "significant" Americans with Disabilities Act improvements, such as upgrades to restrooms, locker rooms, meeting rooms, coaching offices and other spaces, according to the agenda item.
Funding will come from three sources: $14.5 million from USD Foundation; $6.4 million from USD local fund cash; and $5.4 from the annual HEFF maintenance and repair allocation from the Board of Regents.
The agenda item on the Regents website included rendered images of what renovated suites, locker room, meeting room and seating would look like.
