Big Decision On The Tacoma Dome Coming

By Keith Eldridge

Summary

Voters will decide Tuesday whether to continue a tax on the Tacoma Dome that would help pay for renovations.

Story Published: Sep 14, 2005 at 1:58 PM PST

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:04 AM PST

Big Decision On The Tacoma Dome Coming
TACOMA - There is a huge decision to be made Tuesday night on whether voters want to do something about the aging Tacoma Dome. Proposition 1 asks Tacoma voters if they want to continue the current tax to refurbish the place.

The Dome was built 22 years ago, and little has been done to it since then. For more than two decades, the Tacoma Dome has been an icon of the Northwest. It had been the favorite of concert tours.

But the Tacoma Dome has fallen out of favor with some groups passing her by to play in more modern facilities in Seattle, Auburn and Everett.

"It's a grand old gal," says former Tacoma mayor Harold Moss, adding it's no different than taking care of your house.

"After you've been in it 25-30 years and paid off the mortgage then now is the to go and do major renovations," he said.

It would be a $45 million renovation that would include:

  • Wider concourses with upscale concession stands.
  • Modern bathrooms... and more of them.
  • New wider seats... more aisles.
  • No more benches in the upper reaches.
  • The playing surface would be replaced with portable synthetic turf.
  • No increase in taxes.

    The money would be raised by continuing the bond folks in Tacoma have been paying for the past two decades. That is about $40 a year on the average $180,000 home.

    Opponents say that's misleading. Prop 1 opponent Rick Cvitanich says, "Because when your property values go up so does the tax on the Dome and people are not informed about that."

    And Prop. 1 opponent Chris Lucas says, "It is structurally sound. There is no reason to do structural stuff. We are talking cosmetic. $45 million for cosmetics is a lot of money."

    They would like to see private enterprise take over running the Tacoma Dome.

    But supporters say it sure beats the cost of the major reconstruction that you saw with KeyArena and the implosion that you saw with the Kingdome.

    Without the improvements? Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber Pres/CEP David Graybill says, "What will happen is our business base here will slowly erode and the tens of millions of dollars of benefit that we realize here in our business community will begin to slip away from us."

    Supporters admit it's going to be tough to get this passed. Their surveys show a vast majority wants this, but they need a minimum of 31,000 people to vote otherwise the election won't be validated.

    Moss says, "That's why we're urging people at every opportunity to 'please get out and vote.'”

    For More Information:

    www.saveourdome.org or (253) 272-1255.

    www.tacomedome.org