Supporters believe the second time is the charm. Last September they tried but failed to get the measure passed. They got the needed 60 percent support, but not enough people voted to validate the election.

They believe this election will be much easier to validate because only 18,000 total voters are required rather than the 31,000 needed last September.

For more than two decades the Tacoma Dome has been an icon of the Northwest. It's 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," said Former Tacoma Mayor Harold Moss. He said 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 is the time if ever to go and do major renovations."

It would be a $45-million renovation bringing wider concourses with upscale concession stands, modern bathrooms and more of them. There would be new, wider seats, more aisles and no more benches in the upper reaches. And the playing surface would be replaced with portable synthetic turf.

The money would be raised by reinstating the bond that Tacoma residents have been paying the past two decades which amounts to about $40 a year on the average $180,000 home.

Opponents say that's misleading. "Because when your property values go up so does the tax on the dome and people are not informed about that," Rick Cvitanich said last September.

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

But supporters say it sure beats the major reconstruction that you saw with Key Arena and the Kingdome.

Without the improvements, Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber President 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."

For More Information:

www.saveourdome.org