The coronavirus has ground all sports arena activity to a halt for the time being, but activity on sports arenas continues apace.
Syracuse is in the midst of a multi-year project to renovate the Carrier Dome, and Monday was demo day for the famous, pillowy roof. The construction site is already host to one of the world’s largest cranes.
And down it went, before 8 a.m. local time. The demolition, such that it was one, was anticlimactic by demolition standards. Here’s how onlookers observed the process, shared by the Syracuse Post-Standard:“Is anything happening” one university employee asked another, as they emptied a truck outside Falk College around 7:30 a.m.
“I don’t know,” the other answered. “It’s getting squishee.”
WATCH: Down it goes! @SyracuseU's famed dome was deflated for the last time Monday morning.
— Robert Hackford (@Robert_Hackford) March 16, 2020
What took 45 minutes (give or take) we bring to you in 15 seconds. #LocalSYR #OrangeNation @NewsChannel9 @Cuse @CuseMilitia @Syracuse1848 pic.twitter.com/vOyTrr9VXh
The roof then needed to be cut down by construction workers, which was expected to take eight hours and be complete by Monday afternoon.
The roof will be replaced by another pillowy roof encircled by a railing, which appears to already be halfway complete.
The entire project is slated to cost $118 million.