Tell that to the people in NE, Buffalo, NY, Green Bay, Denver....why isn't Pittsburgh demanding a dome?
NE - Don't need a new stadium yet. They also exist 30 miles from Boston where there isn't a huge need for the venue to host big events when it's far from the city center. Wait until Gillette needs major reconstruction or a rebuild, and see where and what they build to replace it.
Buffalo - They're going to dig another hole next to the old one. Again, by not building downtown, there's no real push for a dome now. Nothing needs to be in Orchard Park that requires a dome. The downtown stadium was going to have a dome. But the fans were really against losing their tailgating. And you know how Buffalonians love tailgating.
Green Bay - Really? They're not replacing Lambeau Field any time soon. The current stadium can't handle a roof even if the team wanted to build one. Secondly, no need in a city such as Green Bay to need an 80,000-seat indoor venue for non-football games. Their 9,877 seat indoor venue barely gets used for events. You think there's a big need for an indoor 80,000-seat venue for a city of 106k?
Denver - Not due for replacement. Was built in 2001, but built nice. Also built as part of a building boom in the city that saw the new arena, baseball, and football venues. Denver very well might want a dome for the next stadium to attract the large venue events a city like Denver would want. Right now, it's not on the table. Big issue is where would it be built. Probably somewhere near the current venue. Or out in Aurora or Commerce City or the Airport area.
Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh won't be getting a new venue any time soon. With the development between PNC and Heinz/Acrisure, there's no where to put it now. Unlike before just dumping into into the old parking lot of Three Rivers Stadium. That and the fact that the team barely was able to build a 56,000 seat venue that was just recently expanded to 68,000 when they added seats to the south endzone. The land around there is near impossible to build a structure to support an open-air roof a dome would need. Major concerts go out to Star Lake Pavilion (or whatever it's called this month) or one of the two arenas in town. And again, unlike Cleveland, Pittsburgh isn't due for a new venue.
CLEVELAND, however, is due, because they build a $200 million stadium in 1999 that lacked any sort of amenity that would draw people in. They also built the structure in general incredibly cheap to get it ready by 1999. They didn't have escalators for years and if you remember attending games in the 500 level, those walks were not fun up the ramps. Even the two renovations the Haslems have done have not been kind to the venue and, like Jacobs Field, was overbuilt for the demand that would ensue.
CBS was built with 72,000 seats because old Municipal Stadium has 72,000 unobstructed seats in its 84,000 seat football configuration. It also grossly underbuilt the lower level and club/loge levels, and prioritized that L-shaped upper west/north section that became a waste.
And, as for wind, you're saying to spend a few billion to build an outdoor venue so that we make a few extra field goals a year? While fans paying thousands to attend NOT attend unless the team is winning because they'd rather not sit in the lakefront wind to watch a loser?
That is an argument for an outdoor venue. And sure, unlimited funds, let's do it. In reality, selling Cleveland, or Cuyahoga County in general, on building a venue that is only getting 8-9 regular season games a year, if we're lucky a couple playoff games ever decade, and 1-2 preseason games witnessed by dozens of fans, and the rare Kenny Chesney concert, collegiate football or hockey game, a St. Ignatius home game every so often, and maybe a Monster Jam rally. Sure, let's do it. If you're paying.
Build a dome, and you're getting at least one Super Bowl during the stadium's life, maybe a B1G or MAC title game, NCAA basketball pods, other NCAA sports tournaments, more high school and college games, and much easier time attracting the concerts that outgrow Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.
Is it ideal? No. But if the city/county is paying for any of it, the city/county needs to benefit from it more than building another rich man's play thing.
