The City of Tacoma is reaching out to contractors in order to determine the estimated cost to clean the Tacoma Dome’s roof.

According to a legal notice published this month in the Tacoma Daily Index and Request For Information (RFI) documents prepared by City staff, the City plans to collect information regarding the maintenance and cleaning of the arena’s roof, gutter system, cupola louvers, and walkway, as well as establish a list of contractors interested in the project should the City decide to put the job out for bid at a later date.

Contractors are invited to respond to the RFI by submitting the following information: estimated cost to complete the work one time over the next 12 months; estimated cost to complete the work two times over the next 12 months; estimated cost to complete the work six times over the next 36 months; estimated timeline to complete the work; and qualifications and relevant experience to provide the services. The deadline to submit information expires at 11 a.m. on Tues., May 12. More information is available online here and here.

The Tacoma Dome’s roof, which measures approximately 260,000 square feet, was last cleaned three years ago when an anonymous donor paid approximately $104,000 for the service (see “Anonymous donor pays $103K to clean Tacoma Dome roof,”  Tacoma Daily Index, March 20, 2012; and “Project to clean Tacoma Dome roof is completed,”  Tacoma Daily Index, April 27, 2012). Prior to that time, the roof was last cleaned in 2003. The City-owned Tacoma Dome opened to the public on April 21, 1983, and is located at 2727 E. D St. in Tacoma.

On a related note, the Tacoma Daily Index began publishing a series last month focusing on the history of public art at the Tacoma Dome and an effort underway to cover the Dome’s roof in a flower designed by the late Pop artist Andy Warhol. To read the series to date, click on the following links:

• Tacoma Dome: For Amy McBride, Warhol’s rooftop flower is larger than the Dome (Tacoma Daily Index, April 14, 2015)
• Tacoma Dome: How Ellida Lathrop helped to shape public art at the Dome (Tacoma Daily Index, April 6, 2015)
• Tacoma Dome: Before Warhol’s flower, Lyn Messenger drew diamonds on the Dome (Tacoma Daily Index, March 30, 2015)

UPDATE – WEDS., APRIL 22, 2015 @ 7:40 A.M. — The Tacoma Daily Index reached out to City of Tacoma Public Assembly Facilities Director Kim Bedier, who oversees operations at the Tacoma Dome, for more information about the maintenance plan for the Tacoma Dome’s roof.

TACOMA DAILY INDEX: Why has the City issued the RFI this month to clean the roof of the Tacoma Dome?

KIM BEDIER: In anticipation of funds being raised for the Warhol project and the roof having to be cleaned prior to installation we wanted to get a defined budget number for this piece of the project.

TACOMA DAILY INDEX: Is there an annual budget to clean the Tacoma Dome’s roof? If so, what is it? If not, why not?

BEDIER: There is not an annual budget to clean the roof. There are many other operational priorities which take precedence with the limited budget at this time.

TACOMA DAILY INDEX: It’s my understanding the Tacoma Dome’s roof was most recently cleaned in 2012 and 2003. Is this schedule adequate to keep the roof clean? Or would it be better served if it were cleaned more often?

BEDIER: There is no defined schedule for cleaning.

TACOMA DAILY INDEX: The last time the Tacoma Dome’s roof was cleaned, it cost approximately $104,000 and was paid for by an anonymous donor. Is there any indication / possibility that could happen again?

BEDIER: There is no indication of a donation to clean the roof.

Todd Matthews is editor of the Tacoma Daily Index, an award-winning journalist, and author of A Reporter At Large and Wah Mee. His journalism is collected online at wahmee.com.

A contractor cleans the Tacoma Dome’s roof three years ago after an anonymous donor paid approximately $104,000 for the service. (FILE PHOTO COURTESY KEVIN FREITAS)