Dome's Deflation Marks End Of Era

INDIANAPOLIS -- Downtown Indianapolis' skyline is quite a bit different Wednesday following a slow deflation of the RCA Dome that left an odd site on the city's horizon.

Former Mayor Bill Hudnut gave an order to turn off the large fans that kept the dome's 500,000-pound Teflon-coated fabric roof in the air after a short ceremony that began at 10:30 a.m.

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The destruction of the dome, which was erected during Hudnut's administration, brings a storied 24-year history to a close, and the former mayor has mixed emotions about its destruction.

"Building the dome was such a labor of love, and whenever you have a labor of love, it's sad to see it disappear into the history books," Hudnut said. "Even though the dome is going down today, it has a wonderful legacy and, I think, will be part of the soul and the spirit and the heart of Indianapolis for generations to come."

A woman's voice, billed as "the voice of the RCA Dome" recounted the many events the facility housed and touched on some of the fond memories Colts fans and others are likely to have from throughout the years.

"Dear friends, after 24 years, it is time to say goodbye. Thank you for the memories," the voice of the dome said.

Mayor Greg Ballard praised Hudnut's vision in erecting the dome and said the city is ready for the next step.

"It was really your leadership and vision that built this stadium for Indianapolis, and the city will always be grateful," Ballard said. "It's really hard to replace the dome in the minds and hearts of our citizens, but the time has come to move on."

The RCA Dome could seat as many as 60,500 people in its standard configuration. It was home to the Indianapolis Colts, numerous basketball championships and hundreds of conventions. Originally called the Hoosier Dome, the name changed when RCA bought naming rights in 1994.

The actual deflation began after the short ceremony and took 45 minutes before the roof stops descending at about 50 feet above ground.

"In the control room, they have gauges to monitor the height of the roof and how fast it's going to come down," said Tom Scheele, demolition construction manager. "We're going to control the descent as much as possible, but it will be a very subtle effect."

The roof's deflation is the next step toward the dome's removal, making way for construction of a $275 million expansion of the Indiana Convention Center, which will be attached to Lucas Oil Stadium.

The convention center is slated for completion in the fall of 2010. It will increase the amount of space from about 725,000 square feet to more than 1.2 million square feet.

A portion of the remains of the dome, primarily the upper-level seating area, will be imploded in December.