November 29, 2015

Jason Verdugo
Department of Athletics
Hamline University
1536 Hewitt Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55104
Subject: Feasibility Study
Dear Jason Verdugo,
On October 18, 2015 we requested permission from you to conduct research on the feasibility of
constructing a domed, indoor athletic facility. Since then, you have approved our request and we
have performed the required research for this assignment. As promised, we have submitted our
final report by the agreed deadline, of November 29, 2015. Enclosed, you will find the results of
our study for your review.
This study holds personal significance to both of us as we have both been competitive athletes
for most of our lives and currently hold varsity positions on Hamlines soccer and tennis teams.
We regularly use Hamlines athletic facilities and recognized a need for more indoor space to
utilize during our winter, off-seasons. Due to the fact that we are now both upperclassmen, we
recognize no solution would be immediate which helped to eliminate any personal bias on the
matter. Therefore, we wanted to explore all possible solutions and based off of similar, nearby
facilities, decided a domed sports facility was the most accessible option to improve Hamlines
current facility inadequacy.
To begin this process, we conducted primary research by administering 18 surveys to the English
1800 students. We then created graphics to visually represent said data. Next, we conducted
secondary research by looking for credible sources on EBSCO, Summon, WorldCat, and Google
Scholar. Upon completing and gathering enough relevant research, we analyzed the data and
drew a conclusion in regards to the projects feasibility.
We have determined it is feasible for Hamline University to build an air domed sports facility
over the already existing Klas Field. The following report will further address our findings and
present them to you in an organized and logical fashion.
Thank you for reading and we sincerely hope you enjoy the experience.

Elizabeth Hughes and Grace Nichols

AIR DOMED SPORTS FACILITY

Constructing an Air Dome Over Klas Field at Hamline University:

A Feasibility Study
Grace Nichols and Elizabeth Hughes
Hamline University
November 29, 2015
Abstract
This report details the findings from a feasibility study on adding an air domed sports facility to
Klas Field on Hamline Universitys campus. The primary research noted, current students are
dissatisfied with Hamlines athletic performance as well as a desire for a domed sports facility.
Secondary research detailed many benefits to exercising and having exercise and practice space
available for both students and athletes. Constructing an air domed sports facility over Klas Field
is a feasible and seemingly positive option for the University.

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Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................2
Introduction......................................................................................................................................4
Primary Research.........................................................................................................................5
Secondary Research.....................................................................................................................6
Criteria.........................................................................................................................................6
Results..............................................................................................................................................7
Current Situation..........................................................................................................................7
Figure 1........................................................................................................................................8
Figure 2......................................................................................................................................10
Figure 3......................................................................................................................................11
Answering a Need......................................................................................................................11
University benefits.................................................................................................................11
Student athlete and athletic department benefits...................................................................12

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General student benefits........................................................................................................12

Legal consideration................................................................................................................13
Cost analysis..........................................................................................................................13
Community benefits...............................................................................................................14
Table 1........................................................................................................................................15
Student interest......................................................................................................................16
Figure 4......................................................................................................................................17
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................17
Recommendation...........................................................................................................................18
References......................................................................................................................................19

Introduction
Currently, Hamline University has the following athletic amenities: indoor basketball
court and multi-purpose field house, outdoor soccer/softball field, turf football field, tennis
courts, off-campus baseball field, gymnastics complex, weight room, indoor 165 meter track, offcampus hockey rink, and an outdoor 400 meter track. Because of the 20 varsity sports offered at
Hamline, there is a lot of competition for both the indoor and outdoor practice spaces. Being in
metro Minnesota, annual weather averages Hamline endures are 54 of snow and 20F for the
months November-March (Minneapolis Climate Data, 2015). These 6-month extremes put extra
emphasis on the need for indoor space to house all training athletes. Additionally, the spaces used

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to train are open to the community, club teams, and intramural sports, making scheduling
increasingly more difficult.
One way that this facility can be beneficial for the University is considering the greater
good of the community. Despite the costs, there is a lot of potential revenues associated with
having a domed sports facility. The usage options broaden outside the Hamline sports realm to
also allow events such as high school graduations, concerts, and local club and high school
sports practices.
Providing a domed sports facility would increase overall satisfaction of Hamline athletes
and non-athletes alike as supported by the following quotation, sport activities on the collegiate
varsity and intramural levels, provide participants valuable skills including time management,
organization, problem solving, leadership, teamwork, discipline, resilience, perseverance, rule
adherence, social interaction, and increased personal identity (Corack, 2014, p. 1). Building a
new facility to house athletes decreases congestion of current indoor facilities to increase their
use by non-athletes. This facility will allow more students to reap the benefits associated with
sports and physical activity as previously stated.
Ultimately, a domed sports facility encapsulates many benefits including an opportunity
for long term revenues, more student-athlete satisfaction, success, and retention, which will
result in more freed space for non-athletes and increase their overall happiness as well. Lastly,
this facility can act as a winter home for members of the surrounding community and help youths
stay active in dormant winter months.
Research Methods
When starting our feasibility report we first outlined the current situation and the factors that
could influence our study by determining the most important criteria. Next, we moved onto

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conducting both primary and secondary research. In order to gather primary research, we created
a 12 question survey to administer to our English 1800 peers. In addition to the survey we also
gathered online sources from Hamline databases such as EBSCO and Summon. Below is the
research we conducted:
Primary Research

Gathered the results from our survey

Analyzed the data collected by the survey

Created graphics that visually displayed the results

Secondary Research

Used credible sources such as EBSCO and Summon to gather secondary research

Used keywords indoor playing facility and benefits of athletics

Determined these results were too broad and changed keywords to collegiate indoor
sports facility, effects of athletics and health, and athletic training and program
success

Scoured search results to find seven relevant and useful sources

Reviewed the findings of said articles and studies

Referred back to criterion to determine need for additional research

Conducted further research on WorldCat and Google Scholar and found five additional
sources

Made a document grouping relevant research with respective main points

Performed cost analysis research of similar structures

Completed research on a hypothetical scenario that could generate revenue

Looked into the size and capacity of Hamlines current facilities

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Used Hamline websites to identify current athletic and academic conditions

In addition to conducting primary research and gathering secondary research, we also created
criteria that would aid in our determination of the final feasibility of building an air domed sports
facility. The criterion is as follows:
Criteria

Does the greater Hamline community have a vested interest in adding a domed sports
facility to Hamlines campus?

Do the current St. Paul zoning laws allow the University to construct this facility?

Is there the necessary funding to cover all initial costs?

Would there be enough long-term revenue to offset the expected building and
maintenance costs?
Results
In this section, we will describe the results of our feasibility study. We will outline the

current situation of Hamline University. Next, we will introduce the best option to move forward
in our research and detail all of our findings.
Current Situation
The main Hamline University campus is located in the heart of St. Paul, Minnesota.
Currently, it plays host to 2,242 undergraduate students and approximately 25% of those students
are also varsity athletes (Hamline University, 2015). In order to accommodate both athletes and
non-athletes, Hamline University offers 12 on-campus athletic facilities, six of which are indoor.
These facilities are open for use to all of the following: 20 varsity sports teams, undergraduate
students, graduate students, faculty, and community members alike.

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The below graphic portrays information from a survey administered to the 8:00 a.m.
section of Dr. Sorias Professional Writing and Rhetoric course. The purpose of the survey was to
gather information pertaining to the feasibility of constructing a domed sports facility on the
Hamline campus. This figure specifically displays the results to a question regarding the usage of
current athletic facilities by students. All athletic facilities both indoor and outdoor were
provided as options for students to select. Students could also state that they had not been using
any athletic facilities. The purpose of the question was to see if there was a current need to
increase capacity of the training spaces for students. The results above will show that indoor
space is the most abundantly used out of all the athletic facilities. Not every student uses athletic
facilities, however, the ones that do are reporting more use of indoor facilities than any other
facilities on campus. Additionally, these results show that more students use athletic facilities
than students that do not. What this tells us as researchers is that not only are the indoor facilities
being used but they are more highly trafficked than any other facilities Hamline offers.

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Figure 1. The current usage of Hamline's indoor and outdoor athletic facilities. This figure
illustrates the number of students that currently use specific athletic facilities on the Hamline
campus.
Not only do athletics play a significant role in the makeup of Hamline University, this
institution is also subject to the weather extremes of the Twin Cities metro area. Therefore, we
found that the annual weather averages Hamline endures are 54 of snow and 20F for the
months November-March (Minneapolis Climate Data, 2015). These 6-month extremes put extra
emphasis on the need for indoor space to house all training students and athletes.
Hamline University is one of the six Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
(MIAC) institutions in the twin cities metro area. Of these six, only one college, Augsburg
College, has an athletic facility designed for use during the winter season. This facility provides

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Augsburg student-athletes with the resources to have winter training on artificial turf as opposed
to Mondo rubber flooring, Hamline Universitys indoor surface. This advantage results in more
athletic success and higher attendance rates. An example is as follows: average home game
attendance for the Hamline University Womens Soccer team is: 73 attendees per game.
Whereas, Augsburg Womens Soccer draws an average crowd of 211 people. In addition to
Augsburg having higher attendance, their MIAC record, 8-3, is far better than Hamlines MIAC
record, 2-8 (2015 Womens Soccer Schedule, 2015, para.1; 2015 Womens Soccer Cumulative
Statistics, 2015, para. 1). Augsburgs ability to train on higher quality surface during the winter
offseason has helped contribute to their programs in season success. The figures below represent
the current attendance and satisfaction of said attendees at varsity sporting events.
Figure 2, displays the responses from students who were asked to note how many athletic
events they had attended during the past academic year. As shown below, more students have
attended athletic events than have not. As researchers, we recognize that there is a desire to
support the endeavors of Hamline athletic teams but, there are also a large portion of students
still not engaging with the athletic community. Moving forward, efforts can be made to increase
event attendance and bridge Hamlines athletic academic communities.

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Figure 2. Current student attendance of Hamlines athletic events. This figure displays the results
of how many students are or are not attending athletic events. Further, of students who are
attending Hamline athletic events, the frequency with which they attend.
The figure below shows the results of student satisfaction with the current Hamline
athletics teams. Of the students that have attended athletic events, nearly 30% were not satisfied
with the quality. What this tells us is that there is an opportunity to increase attendance if in fact
the athletic programs on campus were to see more success. Why this is important is in assessing
the feasibility of adding a domed sport facility we must also assess the opportunity for athletic
growth with the option to train inside said facility. If there is an opportunity for athletic growth
then it will directly correlate to an increase in event attendance.

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Figure 3. Current athletic event attendance and student satisfaction of Hamline athletic teams.
This figure analyzes the amount of Hamline students that currently attend Hamline sporting
events and of those that do attend if they are happy with the success of Hamline teams.
Answering a Need
As previously alluded, Hamline University has the potential to increase athletic success
and general student population satisfaction. Through, improved athletic performance and less
congested indoor athletic facilities. One possible solution is, similar to Augsburg College,
building an air domed sports facility.
University benefits. By adding an air domed sports facility many of the current indoor
athletic spaces in Walker Fieldhouse would become more available for student use. Having a
more open and reliable outlet for exercise and intramural sports will offer benefits to the
University as a whole. Roberts and McNeese (2007) conducted a study that found as levels of
student involvement/engagement increase, so does student retention in higher education (pg. 9).

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Besides an increase in retention, Corack (2014) noted that athletes success provides the college
with the ability to generate higher graduation rates and greater contributions by alumni (pg. 32).
With this athletic facility addition, Hamline has potential to improve its current ranking, 12th in
the Midwest by increasing retention and graduation rates. Further, Hamline is able to increase
student body diversity by attracting more out-of-state students. Work by researchers Kampf &
Teske (2013) has shown that 81% of students who use recreation centers feel more comfortable
in their new collegiate environment (pg. 87).
Student athlete and athletic department benefits. Adding an air domed athletic facility
not only has the ability to reflect positively on the University, but also to magnify current
benefits of varsity athletic participation. Student-athletes are automatically immersed into a
community upon their arrival to campus. Because of this sense of belonging, Corack (2014)
found that student-athletes are less lonely and less stressed due to their participation in sports
(pg. 36). Additionally, student-athletes grow specific skills from experiential learning, attributed
to participating on a competitive team. A more detailed analysis of these lifelong skills attributed
to being a student-athlete are as follows: student athletes not only achieve success on the field,
but also learn life lessons including teamwork, discipline, resilience, perseverance, how to play
by the rules, and how to accept unfavorable outcomes (Corack, 2014, pg. 26). Not only does
having individuals with these skills bode well for the University, but also reflects positively upon
the athletic department as well.
General student benefits. Hamline Universitys general population is also a beneficiary
from the addition of an air domed sports facility. Current facilities will become less populated by
student athletes and more available for non athlete use. Corack found in a study, that
recreational sports create the perfect avenue for non-cognitive benefits, as the extrinsic

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motivation of competition, meets the intrinsic need to live a healthy lifestyle (2014, pg. 36), a
benefit that extends beyond the academic scope. Niclasen, Petzold, & Schoner published that to
increase this recreational "physical activity, it is important not only to build facilities, but to a
greater extent to focus on the social aspects of physical activity (2012, pg. 619). These social
aspects, such as community, trust, and belonging are also applicable for students graduation.
Again, this will mean having more prepared graduates who will serve as positive representatives
of the University as alumni.
Legal consideration. In order to further assess the feasibility of this project, we looked
into the laws surrounding Hamline University zoning. According to a zoning document written
by the St. Paul Government (2014), the present base zoning and CUP [Conditional Use Permit]
are sufficient to allow continued development of and investment in the Hamline University
campus (pg. 4). This quotation is proof that Hamline University is legally permitted to make
additions to the current athletic facilities, so long that the property being developed is owned by
Hamline University.
Cost analysis. Ultimately, cost will play an important role in the feasibility of building an
air domed sports facility. According to Yeadon Air Supported Structures, the cost of building an
air domed facility runs $17.00 per square foot (Frequently Asked Questions, 2015, para. 5).
Authors of the running website letsrun.com, posted that an eight lane 400-meter track measures
approximately 90,000 square feet (Square Footage, 2014, para. 1). With that estimation in mind,
we decided to round up to include the space around the track for construction purposes.
Assuming Klas track and field measures roughly 97,600 square feet, at $17.00 per square foot,
the cost of building a domed sports facility over the area would be $1,659,200.

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In order to finance this facility Hamline University could employ a variety of options.
The two most common options being to take on a bond or to re-direct funds from student tuition.
A theoretical option is to utilize approximately $740 from each undergraduate students tuition to
cover the building costs. This would serve as a one-time redirection of student funds to the
athletic department. Further, as stated by The Consultants for Edina (2011), the operational costs
of similar facilities would cost roughly $358,000 and increase by 3% each year (pg. 14). In order
to cover those expenses Hamline will need to rent out the facility for community use. Using the
Augsburg Air Structure hourly rate, $365, which allows use of half the facility for one hour,
Hamline would need to have a minimum of 465 rented hours (Augsburg College, 2015). During
the six months of winter Hamline will need to offer a minimum of 18 rental hours per week to
reach 465 hours. If Hamline is able to create partnerships with nearby sports teams, filling these
hours and covering all break-even costs is plausible.
Community benefits. This air domed sports facility will also be a medium through
which the surrounding Hamline community can come together. Not only would inviting the
community to more events promote a positive relationship between Hamline and its neighbors
but also offer opportunities to offset construction costs.
An example for the revenue potential bolstered by the domed sports facility will be
analyzed by the following hypothetical scenario: hosting a concert inside the air dome. The
current capacity of Klas Field is 2,000 people. Given a six-hour allotment, Hamline could host a
one and a half hour concert and allowing four and a half hours for setup and takedown. For a
$10,000 investment Hamline could have the Ying Yang Twins perform (Crockett, 2014, para.
15). Given the field does not have a proper stage or lighting another $2,000 investment would be
necessary for a 16 x 14 stage including lighting and sound accessories (Crown Rental, 2015).

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Lastly, during this six-hour period the facility will not be open for any other use creating
opportunity cost. Based upon the current Augsburg Air Structure hourly rate of $365,
approximates opportunity cost for the six hours at $2,190 (Augsburg College, 2015). The overall
cost for this concert would be: $14,190. By selling tickets to Hamline students (1500) at $15 and
to community members (500) at $20, a sold out concert would bring in a revenue of $32,500. Of
that, $18,310 would be revenue for the University to keep. A visual of this scenario is included
below. Opportunities such as this concert would off-set initial building costs and work towards
having sustainable profits faster.
Table 1
Profit Opportunity Example Cost Analysis
Items
Cost to hire group
Equipment Rentals
Opportunity Cost
Total concert cost
Ticket revenue
Profit
Table 1

Costs
<$10,000>
<$2,000>
<$2,190>
<$14,190>
$32,500
$18,310

One more benefit the community would receive from this addition, would be having
more active children. More specifically, in a feasibility study conducted by Parks and Recreation
Consultants for Edina, Minnesota (2011), the researchers noted that the childhood obesity rate in
the United States has tripled over the past 30 years (pg. 4). Furthermore, sports act as a positive,
age-appropriate way to encourage regular, physical activity in youth. Inviting the surrounding
community to rent the facility during peak hours of the winter months Hamline can better cover
their construction and maintenance costs. Lastly, families may no longer have to go out of their
way during harsh winter conditions to keep their kids active.

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Student interest. One of the most relevant factors in determining overall feasibility of
this air domed sports facility is whether this addition is of interest to current students. In order to
assess the current attitude on the matter, the graphic below visualizes the responses of students
who were asked to state whether or not they would want a domed sports facility on campus. The
overwhelming majority of students surveyed responded that they would enjoy having a domed
sports facility to use during harsh winters. This tells us as researchers, that their is a "desire" by
the Hamline population to construct such a facility.
The following figure, shows the responses students had when asked if they would enjoy
or would not enjoy the addition of an air domed sports facility to the Hamline Universitys
campus. The students surveyed were both athletes and non-athletes. The overwhelming majority
of students surveyed, stated that they would enjoy having a domed sports facility to use during
harsh winters. This tells us as researchers that their is a "desire" by the Hamline population to
construct such a facility. If there was no "desire" by students, then the purpose of this paper
would be concluded before it began. Knowing that students would enjoy having a domed facility
warrants more research into the costs and restrictions of creating one.

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Figure 4. The potential for student enjoyment of a domed sport facility. This figure illustrates
what portion of the student population would get enjoyment from having and using a domed
sports facility on the Hamline campus.
Conclusion
Our research found that the current Hamline University indoor athletic facilities are the
most abundantly used. Further, there is a deficiency of both athletic support and athletic success.
This shortfall indicates there is still a large portion of the undergraduate population not attending
athletic events and, of the students that do attend, there are many unsatisfied with the
performance of Hamlines sports teams. Additionally, our secondary research found a variety of
benefits linked to participation in varsity and intramural athletics. Many of these benefits were
associated with university happiness and academic success as well as had a positive effect on
students health.

The construction of an air domed sports facility would offer health benefits to
surrounding youth, shorten metro area commute time during winter months, and

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promotes collegiate student engagement and retention; all factors that indicate the greater
Hamline community has vested interest in this facility.

St. Paul zoning and construction officials have declared the Hamline University campus
eligible for existing building additions, thus permitting this facility's construction.

Research of potential costs indicate that this facility will cost approximately $1,659,200.
Providing redirection of approximately $740 of undergraduate student tuition to the
athletic department, all initial building costs will be covered.

Examination of possible dome rental charges and venue leases (i.e. concerts) denote that
Hamline has the potential to foster substantial revenue from this air domed sports facility.
Recommendation
Upon careful review and consideration of the research and data collected, we recommend

that Hamline University move forward with the construction of an air domed sports facility.
Through this report, we have proved the potential benefits, verified the legal restrictions,
determined the anticipated costs, and suggested possible revenue streams.

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References

2015 Womens Soccer Schedule. (2015). Augsburg College. Retrieved from:

www.athletics.augsburg.edu
2015 Womens Soccer Cumulative Statistics. (2015). Hamline Athletics. Retrieved from:
www.hamline.edu/athletics
Astin, A. W. (1984). Student involvement: A developmental theory for higher education. Journal
of College Student Personnel, 25, 297-308.
Attwood, E. (2013, December). Maximizing field use and budgets with seasonal domes. Athletic
Business. Retrieved from:www.athleticbusiness.com/gym-fieldhouse/
Augsburg College. (2015). Rental Information. Retrieved from:
http://athletics.augsburg.edu/sports/2009/11/4/dome_rental_info.aspx?id=130
Corack, G. J. (2014). The relationship of collegiate athletic and recreational sports involvement
to student success and persistence (Order No. 3617902). Available from ProQuest
Dissertations & Theses Global. (1528550775). Retrieved from:
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1528550775?accountid=28109
Crockett, Z. (2014). How much does it cost to book your favorite band? Priceonomics, retrieved
from: http://priceonomics.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-book-your-favorite-band/
Crown Rental. (2015). Staging/Flooring Rentals. Retrieved from:
www.crownrent.com/equipment
Frequently Asked Questions. (2015). Yeadon Air Support Structures. Retrieved from
www.yeadondomes.com/faqs
Hamline University. (2015). U.S. News & Report. Retrieved from:
www.colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com

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Kampf, S. & Teske, E. J. (2013). Collegiate recreation participation and retention. Recreational
Sports Journal, 37, 85-96.
Macnamara, B. N., Hambrick, D. Z., Oswald, F. L. (2014). Deliberate practice and performance
in music, games, sports, education, and professions: a meta-analysis. Psychological
Science Online. 10(1177), 1-11.
Niclasen, M., Petzold, M., & Schoner C. W. (2012). The association between high recreational
physical activity and physical activity as a part of daily living in adolescents and
availability of local indoor sports facilities and sports clubs. Scandinavian Journal of
Public Health. 40, 614-620.
Parks and Recreation Consultants. (2011). Edina sports dome financial feasibility study. 1-22.
Schneider, R., & Messenger, S. (2012, December). The impact of athletic facilities on the
recruitment of potential student-athletes. College Student Journal, pp. 805
Sheard, R. (2013). Sports architecture. New York, NY: routledge
Square Footage. (2014). Lets Run. Retrieved from: www.letsrun.com/forum
Minneapolis Climate Data. (2015). U.S. Climate Data. Retrieved from:
www.usclimatedata.com/climate/minneapolis