In his "Winter Message" last week, Syracuse University Chancellor Kent Syverud said the university would soon reach a decision on what to do about the Carrier Dome's aging roof.

He said a "definitive decision on the future of the Dome would be done by summer.

Forty years ago, this week, Syracuse's now familiar domed stadium was first mentioned as a possible replacement for the crumbling Archbold Stadium.

The reaction was mixed at first but would soon gain momentum.

In January 1978, the Onondaga County Stadium Commission met with two nationally recognized experts on stadium construction.

One was David Geiger, consulting engineer of the New York City firm of Geiger-Berger Associates, who the Post-Standard called, "the nation's top authority on soft tops for major structures such as stadiums."

On Jan. 23, he told the commission that a fully-enclosed 50,000-seat stadium could be built in Syracuse for about $15 million, and asked that the group "not to reject automatically consideration of a roofed stadium."

"This is a new technology," he said, "but not untried or unproven."

Geiger's firm had built, or were in the process of building, domed stadiums or soft-top buildings for the University of Northern Iowa, the University of Santa Clara and a covered bullfight ring in Venezuela.

He had recently been contacted by the Soviet Union for help in the construction of buildings for the 1980 Olympics and said that his largest project, the 80,000-seat Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit, was finished on time and under budget.

He predicted to the Syracuse group: "I'm totally convinced that after Pontiac's translucence and space-like feeling become more generally known, there will never be another concrete or steel dome built."

He would use Teflon-coated, fiberglass fabric stretched across steel cables, like those used in the construction of suspension bridges. Large fans inside the dome "inflate" the roof to its proper height.

He said that the roof could withstand all weather and said the Teflon surface is so slick, snow would not stick. If the buildup of snow became to great, the roof could be deflated.

Geiger also said the lightweight roof would allow sunlight through, negating the need for artificial light during the day. And because the surface reflects 80 percent of the heat during summer, air conditioning would not be necessary.

The biggest advantage would be the dome could be available all year long and could become the potential site for concerts, conventions, trade shows, as well as, sports.

Several commission members were skeptical, especially about the price.

One member, Carter Chase, said there was no way he could support the idea because of how much it would cost taxpayers.

County Legislator Edward Ryan said, "The costs just don't support going this route."

He would later tell commission chairman, David Chase, that the prospect of a domed stadium "might jeopardize the entire (stadium) project," and questioned the wisdom of creating competition for events between the dome and other facilities, like the War Memorial and State Fairgrounds.

But during the next month, excitement about a domed stadium began to grow.

In February, County Legislator Gerald Mingolelli thought that a domed stadium was not receiving the consideration it should.

He told the Post-Standard: "We have a unique opportunity here to do something really great. The type of facility we build will serve for the next 50 to 60 years."

"I see so many pluses," he said.

On Feb. 24, David Chase, the stadium commission chairman, came out in favor of a dome.

"Now is the time to evaluate the dynamic cost-benefit impact on our community with a domed, 365-day facility," Chase said.

He noted that the Syracuse dome would be the first in the Northeast, and would become the largest enclosed facility in the region, surpassing Madison Square Garden.

"If it sounds like I'm a little excited about this, it is because I am," he said.

He continued: "Why not Syracuse? We are at the crossroads of New York and the Northeast. I am convinced after initial research that a Syracuse Dome can be a cost benefit to our community."

He said a conservative estimate held that there be at least 17 events a year, plus six Syracuse football games, at the dome, attracting thousands of people from around the region to the city and county.

(There were no plans then on moving the basketball team away from Manley Field House.)

Syracuse sports fans also began coming around on the idea of indoor football.

Bob Latimer's letter to the editor on Feb. 25 summed up the attitudes of many.\He called any discussion of another outdoors stadium as "preposterous," and asked reminded the commission that "this is Syracuse, not Pasadena."

"You are not going to attract 50,000 people to a cold and windy stadium no matter how nice everything else is. But you may attract them if people know they can sit in a nice warm surrounding and watch their team play under perfect field conditions."

The domed stadium idea would become the chosen option and construction would begin in April 1979.

The Carrier Dome opened in September 1980.

This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle: Email | 315-427-3958.