Metrodome

The iconic bubble-topped Metrodome could soon be without its main tenant and Minnesota lawmakers want a clear plan for how to preserve the Minneapolis building for other uses. As Minnesota lawmakers consider the Vikings request for a new stadium, some in the Legislature are seeking a task force to keep the Dome open for high school, collegiate and recreational sports.

The Metrodome is offering visitors a first-hand look at the replacement of its roof. The roof collapsed under heavy snow Dec. 12, and the first 2,000 people to take the public tour this season will get a piece of the fabric from the original roof.

Workers will begin replacing the Metrodome's storm-damaged roof Friday. New fabric panels will be delivered to the downtown Minneapolis stadium, and Birdair Inc. will begin by replacing three diamond-shaped panels that ruptured during a December snowstorm.

The commission that owns the aging Metrodome in Minneapolis is expected to award a contract Friday to the only firm that bid on replacing the roof that collapsed under heavy snow in mid-December.

The Metrodome roof will be replaced. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission voted unanimously to replace the collapsed Metrodome roof. The process will take 5-6 months and the goal is for the roof to be ready by August 1.

Engineers say the Metrodome roof that collapsed in a December snowstorm should be replaced rather than repaired, raising the prospect of a lengthier process that could disrupt Minnesota Vikings preseason games.

The commission that oversees the Metrodome is getting ready to decide whether to replace its damaged roof entirely or just replace torn parts of it. The Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission meets Thursday to hear from engineers who have been assessing the damage since the roof collapsed in a blizzard in December.

It could take five to six months to replace the snow-damaged roof of the Metrodome. That assessment came Thursday from Ted Mondale, the new chairman of the Metropolitan Sports Facilities Commission.

The white snow flew and the red ink grew as 2010 drew to a close in Minnesota, but the snowstorm that brought down the Metrodome roof and a daunting $6.2 billion projected state deficit were just two of the year's most notable stories.

Repairs to the Metrodome will not reach completion until March.