Demand in Youth and Amateur Sports leads to Innovation in Multi-Sport Domes

Since its inception, the air-supported dome industry has been driven by constant technical innovation and increased consumer demand in the youth and amateur sports market segments. The large, open spaces provided by domes, create multiple options for usage and offer significant cost-savings (which are typically a third to a quarter of the cost per square foot than traditional brick and mortar structures), as well as shorter installation times — all of which continue to make them strong players in the sports, fitness and recreation marketplace. 

Multi-sport Domes have continued to grow in popularity, especially in northern climates, where cold weather, snow and ice restricts the ability of athletes and teams to practice and compete during the winter months. Other significant trends driving the industry, include the continued growth and appetite for premier and travel team participation levels in youth sports, which has begun to dictate that new youth and amateur facilities need to more closely resemble the full-sized versions of their outdoor counterparts.

Dan Fraioli, is not only the owner of the company that is building the Sports KingDome, but also an investor. Fraioli, CEO of Air Structures American Technologies, Inc., which has built domes for several professional sports teams and other users, said the project is the "first of its kind" and will be larger than any other dome his company has ever built. "This is the largest multi-sports facility known to us and, in fact, may be the largest multi-sport dome in the world," says Dan.

Perhaps the most significant contribution to the air-supported dome industry is Fraioli's patented bias cable net system. This system allows air structures to clear-span several acres, overcoming the obstacle of over-stressing the fabric. This innovation gives ASATI Domes the ability meet the same structural code standards for conventional buildings. 

Dan says the Sports KingDome's engineering and design took more than two years to complete. Measuring 740 ft. in length X 460 ft. in width, with a stunning ceiling height of 160 feet, the Sports KingDome has an 8-ft. wide track inside, which runs 1/2 mile and features more than 350,000 square feet of indoor space. The dome will take several months to construct and more than six weeks to install. "We're hoping to have it fully installed this fall," says Dan. 

ASATI has been directly involved in developing the technical specifications for air structures and constructing sports domes for Harvard University, Rutgers University, Alabama University, Columbia University, Texas Tech University, The University of Illinois, several State Universities of New York, and eleven NFL football practice facilities: the Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Seattle Seahawks, Chicago Bears, New York Giants, New York Jets, Minnesota Vikings, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Redskins.

The Sports KingDome is slated to open in December of 2017 and will be managed by the industry-leading outsourced management firm, the Sports Facilities Management.

Sports Facilities Management (SFM) and Sports Facilities Advisory (SFA), which was founded in 2003, share corporate offices in Clearwater, FL. SFA has produced more than $8 Billion in institutional-grade financial forecasts for youth and amateur sports complexes, while SFM provides industry-leading, results-driven management solutions for sports, fitness, recreation and event venues, nationwide. Since 2014, SFM venues have hosted more than 50 million visitors. For more information, visit: www.sportadvisory.com

SOURCE Sports Facilities Management (SFM)