Aurora Sports Dome on rise 6 months after wind storm destroyed it

Owner Terry Redvers aims to be back in business next week

Yorkregion.com
November 5, 2018
John Cudmore

Let there be air.

The Aurora Sports Dome is a step closer to being back in business.

In the six months since a May 4 windstorm levelled the 60,000-square-foot bubble on Industrial Parkway in Aurora, the restoration project has been met with a series of delays.

So, it's no surprise Terry Redvers, who owns and operates the facility with his son Trevor, breathed a sigh of relief as the bubble was being pumped with air Nov. 2.
It is safe to assume regular user groups are anxious to start their fall programming in the facility.

"The reason it has not been done, quite simply, is we need the anchors and cables properly installed," said Redvers, who also owns six tennis bubbles in the GTA. “The cables were not deep enough in the first place and that’s why we had this situation.”

After the bubble is inflated, lighting will be addressed over the weekend, Redvers said. He said he is hoping there will be no more delays, although the floor surface could be an issue. There is a chance the facility could be in business next week, Redvers said Nov. 2.

"But every time I get optimistic, something happens."

Redvers understands the frustration user groups are experiencing over the absence of the facility. Many would typically start programming in October.

"People are upset, but no one more than Trevor and I," he said. "It’s money out of our pockets."

The Aurora Youth Soccer Club is a major user group. President Roy Cohen said his club has seen a 16 per cent decrease in registration, which he links to the uncertainty of the facility’s availability for the fall and winter seasons.

"Lots of parents are upset because they have to take their kids elsewhere," said Cohen.

Cohen suggested the club should receive free rental time or an extended season to compensate for losses.