UU scraps Derry Air Dome as it is no longer viable in ‘our current context’
The highly-anticipated Air Dome in Derry is no longer financially viable and will not now proceed as planned, Ulster University have confirmed.
The ambitious project on the old Foyle College playing fields between St. Mary’s College and Springham Park involved an Air Dome and playing pitches, changing facilities, a café, workshop, reception and offices within a new pavilion.
A planning application was submitted last year but UU have said it is no longer viable.
“Ongoing construction inflation and unsustainable running cost projections has caused Ulster University to conclude that the Dome Project is no longer financially viable within our current context.
"We are disappointed, but we must prioritise our limited resources on core activities of delivering excellence in teaching, research with impact, and in delivering City Deals.
"This outcome is an inevitable consequence of the constrained financial position we are placed in as a result of the lack of a sustainable funding model for Higher Education in Northern Ireland. This is one of the difficult but unavoidable decisions that we are having to make given the context we are being expected to operate in,” a UU spokesperson said.
The Air Dome had been enabled by a €10.86m funding allocation from the Special EU Programmes Body (SEUPB) PEACEPLUS programme.
It was to be suitable for soccer, Gaelic games and rugby as well as other sports, community and musical events.
UU said it is ‘exploring other options for bolstering our sports facilities on the Derry~Londonderry campus’.
"We remain committed to working with SEUPB across a range of projects and with local partners and stakeholders in the North West, even as we navigate these constrained times,” it said.