It’s been about a year since the Rams left for Los Angeles (where they’ve performed even worse than they did in 2016), and the Edward Jones Dome… now known just as “The Dome”… is sitting there empty and lonely.
Which brings up the question: what can be done about The Dome?
St. Louis Visitors and Convention Commission President Kitty Ratcliffe has heard that question enough, to say the least.
“This is an industry where if you don’t work downtown and see the people here, you would think it was empty,” Ratcliffe said. “I get so many questions about ‘the empty Dome,’ but it’s not empty.” Now, with the city on the verge of receiving an MLS team in the coming years, many die hard fans want to know why The Dome cannot house a professional soccer team.
“Anything is possible, but does it make financial sense to do that?” Ratcliffe said.
Ratcliffe has stated that it would cost hundreds of millions more to retrofit it for professional soccer. For them to install grass, it would require removing the roof and rebuilding the deep concrete surface beneath the playing area to include drainage and irrigation systems. As of now, the plan is to try and build a soccer stadium just west of Union Station in downtown St. Louis.
“If anyone said they’d be willing to invest, we’d begin designing the construction plans,” Ratcliffe said.
Back in August, The Dome held the first-ever “Legends of the Dome” game, bringing together dozens of former Rams players and coaches for one final football game for the Isaac Bruce Foundation. It was a widely successful event, selling over 10,000 tickets.
So, there are many potential possibilities that revolve around future plans for The Dome. What kind of ideas do you have? Feel free to share your thoughts below.
