The Cajundome’s arches are falling.

Over the 30-year history of the Cajundome, water penetrated the exterior brick archways causing the rebar inside to rust and expand, Cajundome Director Greg Davis said Friday. The bricks now are cracking and in danger of falling, he said.

“Even if a small piece would fall there’s the potential to injure someone,” he said. “And it began to look real bad.”

Workers have been removing the cracked bricks to reduce the danger, but with state funding now available, the archways are being repaired, Davis said.

The repairs are unrelated to a $16 million upgrade planned for the arena using revenue from a bond sale recently approved by the State Bond Commission.

“The bulk of that upgrade will include a redesign of the first-level, lower bowl of the arena,” Davis said. “That redesign is going to cause seating to be far more intimate for sporting events: UL basketball, IceGators hockey.”

It’s also going to add 800 to 1,000 seats to the arena, which may help the Cajundome draw concerts and events it was missing out on.

“The disadvantage we have right now is our seating capacity is less than our competitors,” Davis said. “Sometimes lower capacity makes it difficult to get some entertainers.”

The bond sale also will pay for repairs to the Cajundome’s roof. The unsightly black streaks on the roof are mildew. Plans are to remove the mildew, re-coat the roof with a surface that will protect the rubber coating from the sun’s damaging rays, he said.