MINNEAPOLIS — A spokesman for the group that runs the Metrodome said that repairs to the roof of the stadium will not be done, at the earliest, until late March.
Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, told FOXSportsNorth.com that the damaged areas of the roof aren't the only concern in finalizing a repair timeline.
"We've been working with the engineers and consultants from Birdair (the manufacturer of the roof panels), and they've informed us that further analysis is needed on the panels adjacent to the nine damaged panels and the other panels that weren't damaged," Lester said. "That analysis will be done, and they will report back to us in late January.
"Absent of that analysis, we won't fully know the scope of the repairs needed. We remain committed to continuing on a prudent and careful pace to ensure that the Metrodome will be safe to come into as a spectator or an event participant once we reopen."
The MSFC notified the organizers of every scheduled event through the end of March that the Metrodome would not be available. The highest-profile event is Twins Fest, a popular annual winter gathering of Minnesota Twins players, personnel and fans that was scheduled for the last weekend in January.
Twins spokesman Kevin Smith told FOXSportsNorth.com that the team expects to announce a new site for Twins Fest soon, and that it's likely to be held on the scheduled weekend with the same lineup of team personnel.
"We'll have to scale the event to the venue, of course, but our two main goals will remain to make it a great fan experience, and to raise significant money for the Twins Community Fund," Smith said.
In a typical year, the Metrodome hosts hundreds of late winter/early spring baseball games involving high school teams, small-college teams and the University of Minnesota. Other events canceled include a celebration of the Hmong American New Year, a home and landscape expo and a monster truck rally.
The Metrodome roof collapsed on the morning of Dec. 12 after a blizzard dropped up to 20 inches of snow and brought high winds to the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Vikings' game with the New York Giants, scheduled for that day, was moved to Detroit and played Dec. 13, and the Vikings' game the following week was moved to TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
The Twins are now a former tenant of the dome – they moved to Target Field to start the 2010 season.
Bill Lester, executive director of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission, told FOXSportsNorth.com that the damaged areas of the roof aren't the only concern in finalizing a repair timeline.
"We've been working with the engineers and consultants from Birdair (the manufacturer of the roof panels), and they've informed us that further analysis is needed on the panels adjacent to the nine damaged panels and the other panels that weren't damaged," Lester said. "That analysis will be done, and they will report back to us in late January.
"Absent of that analysis, we won't fully know the scope of the repairs needed. We remain committed to continuing on a prudent and careful pace to ensure that the Metrodome will be safe to come into as a spectator or an event participant once we reopen."
The MSFC notified the organizers of every scheduled event through the end of March that the Metrodome would not be available. The highest-profile event is Twins Fest, a popular annual winter gathering of Minnesota Twins players, personnel and fans that was scheduled for the last weekend in January.
Twins spokesman Kevin Smith told FOXSportsNorth.com that the team expects to announce a new site for Twins Fest soon, and that it's likely to be held on the scheduled weekend with the same lineup of team personnel.
"We'll have to scale the event to the venue, of course, but our two main goals will remain to make it a great fan experience, and to raise significant money for the Twins Community Fund," Smith said.
In a typical year, the Metrodome hosts hundreds of late winter/early spring baseball games involving high school teams, small-college teams and the University of Minnesota. Other events canceled include a celebration of the Hmong American New Year, a home and landscape expo and a monster truck rally.
The Metrodome roof collapsed on the morning of Dec. 12 after a blizzard dropped up to 20 inches of snow and brought high winds to the Twin Cities. The Minnesota Vikings' game with the New York Giants, scheduled for that day, was moved to Detroit and played Dec. 13, and the Vikings' game the following week was moved to TCF Bank Stadium on the campus of the University of Minnesota.
The Twins are now a former tenant of the dome – they moved to Target Field to start the 2010 season.
