Reopening of Hodag Dome is near

According to a press release issued on Monday, progress to repair the Hodag Dome is underway and reopening the facility is near.

The School District of Rhinelander said the dome has been successfully reinflated and repair work is ongoing. A specialized crew from the company who constructed the dome is “diligently working to restore the facility to full functionality.”

“The first phase of repairs focuses on the Dome’s interior lighting system,” the release said. “All lighting fixtures are being inspected and repaired to ensure safety and full illumination of the space. Following this, the team will address all large and small fabric tears on the inside of the Dome.”

The repair team, according to the release, expects all repairs to be completed by the end of next week and the dome will be opened for the public to use. 

The track and tennis courts repairs, however, are scheduled for a later date, the release said, and those repairs won’t interfere with the dome’s reopening or regular use by the community. 

“In addition, a new communication system will be installed for the generator system to ensure timely alerts to district maintenance staff,” the release said. “As an added precaution, district maintenance personnel will remain on call during potential weather-related power outages to ensure uninterrupted operations moving forward. The District Insurance Company has approved all of the repairs needed to get the Dome back to full operations.”

Superintendent Eric Burke gave a brief update at the district’s board of education meeting Monday night.

“It’s looking good, by next week it should be all repaired,” he said. “All the lights work. We had the fire alarm system approved last week. We need the city to give us the go-ahead once all the repairs are done. We’ll be able to, hopefully starting in June 2, be able to have activities back in the dome. It’s been a process.”