Bill LaytnerDetroit Free Press
Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff was just 7 years old and tossing the pigskin in a California peewee league when Detroit’s pro footballers played their last game in the Pontiac Silverdome.
Remember? Their storied former home, with its accidentally collapsible roof. The Silverdome opened in 1975 to fanfare about its record-setting capacity, the largest in the NFL at the time.
Besides the Lions, it also became the home for the Detroit Pistons, the Detroit Express soccer team, the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League, and two college bowl games: the Cherry Bowl and the Motor City Bowl. Stadium gurus praised its revolutionary design. The silvery shiny, Teflon-coated fabric roof was held up by air pressure from huge hidden pumps, which ran up the electric bills for its owner, the city of Pontiac.
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It was designed by Pontiac native and University of Detroit architecture professor Don Davidson, after it became clear that the Lions owners weren’t happy playing at Tiger Stadium, the antiquated home of Detroit’s baseball team.
When the Silverdome opened, cheerleading was about not only the expanse of public parking around the stadium, a far cry better than the scattered private lots in Corktown that served fans at Michigan Avenue and Trumbull. It also elevated praise for the stadium’s puffed-up roof, as when Detroit’s legendary morning radio voice J.P. McCarthy congratulated Silverdome architect Carl Luckenbach on his breakthrough concept.
The stadium, with its huge capacity of more than 80,000, soon became a hit with visiting entertainers. Michael Jackson performed there in 1984, with throbbing bass notes that echoed across the cavernous space such that his most familiar songs seemed unintelligible, according to a Free Press report.
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And then the snow hit
But in 1985, the breakthrough concept had heavy snow break through its roof, forcing three months of repairs costing $8 million – $24 million in today’s dollars. That forced the Pistons to play much of their season in the now-demolished Joe Louis Arena in downtown Detroit, and it surely contributed to their decision to build their own Palace of Auburn Hills, which opened in 1988 and was razed in 2020. At the time of the damage, Silverdome boosters were quick to say that the roof didn’t collapse, that no one was hurt, and that the dome’s fabric merely “deflated” when snow crushing the fabric onto a steel catwalk tore a large hole.
Luckenbach later redeemed himself with award-winning designs for libraries and other buildings, in Ann Arbor and nationwide. Still, the problems with snow-damaged roofs at inflatable stadiums may have killed the concept of “air domes.” The Metrodome in Minneapolis could be the last of the breed.
After the roof repairs, the Lions continued kicking off at the Silverdome until Ford Field lured them back to Detroit in 2002.
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An inglorious ending
After that, the Silverdome began a slide toward oblivion.
Pontiac officials were unable to find a good use for it. Seats were mostly empty for eight years. A Toronto investor bought it in 2009, and the Silverdome reopened for several years of soccer and boxing matches, concerts, monster truck shows, and more. Another heavy snowfall, this time in 2013, tore the roof again, and by then the owner had given up. The end came in late 2017, when a demolition crew imploded the star-crossed building, after a failed implosion attempt on the previous day.
The last standing bits were taken down in early 2018. Since then, Amazon has built a sprawling distribution center that employs about 4,000 people, "many of whom are our residents," Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel said.
"Like many people throughout southeast Michigan, I have fond memories of attending events at the Silverdome, including Lions, Pistons, Detroit Express, and World Cup games, as well as attending the Who concert in 1989. Now, we're fortunate to see this site has been redeveloped," Greimel said.
The failed implosion of the Pontiac Silverdome
The first attempt to implode the Pontiac Silverdome on Dec. 3, 2017 was a failure.
Contact Bill Laytner: blaitner@freepress.com.
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Pontiac Silverdome
The Pontiac Silverdome was a stadium located in Pontiac, Michigan. It opened in 1975 and served as the home stadium for the Detroit Lions (NFL), Detroit Pistons (NBA), and other sports teams. It was also used for college bowl games and various events, including concerts and monster truck shows. The Silverdome had a record-setting capacity of over 80,000, making it the largest stadium in the NFL at the time.
Design and Roof
The Silverdome was designed by Don Davidson, a Pontiac native and University of Detroit architecture professor. The stadium's revolutionary design included a silvery shiny, Teflon-coated fabric roof that was held up by air pressure from hidden pumps. The roof design received praise from stadium gurus. However, in 1985, heavy snow caused the roof to tear, leading to three months of repairs costing $8 million. The damage forced the Pistons to play their games in Joe Louis Arena temporarily. The incident may have contributed to the decline of the concept of "air domes".
Closure and Demolition
After the repairs, the Silverdome continued to host events until 2002 when the Detroit Lions moved to Ford Field in Detroit. Following the Lions' departure, the Silverdome faced challenges in finding a new purpose. It remained mostly empty for eight years until a Toronto investor bought it in 2009. The Silverdome reopened for several years, hosting soccer matches, boxing events, concerts, and more. However, another heavy snowfall in 2013 caused further damage to the roof. Eventually, the building was demolished in late 2017 after a failed implosion attempt. The remaining bits were taken down in early 2018.
Redevelopment
Since the demolition of the Silverdome, the site has been redeveloped. Amazon has built a sprawling distribution center on the site, providing employment opportunities for around 4,000 people. The redevelopment has been seen as a positive outcome for the city of Pontiac.
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