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Pontiac Silverdome: Difference between revisions

Coordinates: 42°38′45″N 83°15′18″W / 42.64583°N 83.25500°W / 42.64583; -83.25500
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For the World Cup games, a natural grass surface capable of growing inside the dome was developed and installed by a team from [[Michigan State University]].<ref>http://www.athleticturf.net/athleticturf/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=308153</ref> This grass surface was laid upon wooden pallets atop the artificial turf that is usually used. It was the first time that World Cup games were played indoors.{{fact}}
For the World Cup games, a natural grass surface capable of growing inside the dome was developed and installed by a team from [[Michigan State University]].<ref>http://www.athleticturf.net/athleticturf/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=308153</ref> This grass surface was laid upon wooden pallets atop the artificial turf that is usually used. It was the first time that World Cup games were played indoors.{{fact}}


The Silverdome also hosted the 1979 [[NBA All-Star Game]], [[Super Bowl XVI]] on January 28, 1982, and the 1988 and [[1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament]] Midwest Regionals. It also hosted three concerts of the [[Michael Jackson]] [[Victory Tour]] in August 1984. In 1987, [[Pope John Paul II]] celebrated [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] there. [[Elvis Presley]] also performed a concert there on New Year's Eve in 1975, and had vowed to play there every other year. On March 29, 1987, the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]]'s [[WrestleMania III]] established the largest indoor attendance record for a sporting event, with a crowd of 93,173 in attendance.<ref name=randy>{{cite web|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCO/is_3_5/ai_108049489/pg_2|title=Interview: Randy Savage|last=Yandek|first=Chris| publisher=Wrestling Digest|accessdate=2007-10-14|month=October | year=2003}}</ref><ref name=top25>{{cite web|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCO/is_4_4/ai_94123536|title=The main events: ladies and gentlemen, may we present the 25 most memorable matches in the last 25 years|last=Eck|first=Kevin|publisher=Wrestling Digest|accessdate=2007-10-14|month=December | year=2002}}</ref><ref name=80s26>{{cite book|title=Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s|first=Brian|last=Shields|publisher= Simon and Schuster|pages=26|year=2006|isbn=1416532579}}</ref><ref name=ecw>{{cite book|title=The Rise & Fall of ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling|last=Loverro|first=Thom|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2006|isbn=1416510583}}</ref>
The Silverdome also hosted the 1979 [[NBA All-Star Game]], [[Super Bowl XVI]] on January 28, 1982, and the 1988 and [[1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament]] Midwest Regionals. It also hosted three concerts of the [[The Jacksons]] [[Victory Tour]] in August 1984. In 1987, [[Pope John Paul II]] celebrated [[Mass (liturgy)|Mass]] there. [[Elvis Presley]] also performed a concert there on New Year's Eve in 1975, and had vowed to play there every other year. On March 29, 1987, the [[World Wrestling Entertainment|World Wrestling Federation]]'s [[WrestleMania III]] established the largest indoor attendance record for a sporting event, with a crowd of 93,173 in attendance.<ref name=randy>{{cite web|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCO/is_3_5/ai_108049489/pg_2|title=Interview: Randy Savage|last=Yandek|first=Chris| publisher=Wrestling Digest|accessdate=2007-10-14|month=October | year=2003}}</ref><ref name=top25>{{cite web|url= http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FCO/is_4_4/ai_94123536|title=The main events: ladies and gentlemen, may we present the 25 most memorable matches in the last 25 years|last=Eck|first=Kevin|publisher=Wrestling Digest|accessdate=2007-10-14|month=December | year=2002}}</ref><ref name=80s26>{{cite book|title=Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s|first=Brian|last=Shields|publisher= Simon and Schuster|pages=26|year=2006|isbn=1416532579}}</ref><ref name=ecw>{{cite book|title=The Rise & Fall of ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling|last=Loverro|first=Thom|publisher=Simon and Schuster|year=2006|isbn=1416510583}}</ref>


On July 15, 1994, English rock band [[Pink Floyd]] performed their classic album ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]'' in its entirety for the first time since 1975. They played two shows on what turned out to be the band's final North American tour in 1994 in support of their album [[The Division Bell]].{{fact}}
On July 15, 1994, English rock band [[Pink Floyd]] performed their classic album ''[[The Dark Side of the Moon]]'' in its entirety for the first time since 1975. They played two shows on what turned out to be the band's final North American tour in 1994 in support of their album [[The Division Bell]].{{fact}}

Revision as of 20:34, 26 November 2009

Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome, The Dome
Map
Former namesPontiac Metropolitan Stadium (1975)
Location1200 Featherstone Road, Pontiac, Michigan 48342
Coordinates42°38′45″N 83°15′18″W / 42.64583°N 83.25500°W / 42.64583; -83.25500
OwnerThe City of Pontiac
OperatorPontiac Stadium Building Authority
CapacityFootball: 80,311
93,682 (largest crowd, for a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II) [1][2]
SurfaceAstroTurf (1975-2005)
FieldTurf (2005-2006)
Construction
Broke groundSeptember 19, 1973
OpenedAugust 23, 1975
ClosedFebruary, 2006
Construction cost$55.7 million
Tenants
Detroit Lions (NFL) (1975–2001)
Detroit Pistons (NBA) (1978–1988)
Michigan Panthers (USFL) (1983–1984)
Detroit Express (NASL) (1978–1980)
Cherry Bowl (NCAA) (1984–1985)
Motor City Bowl (NCAA) (1997–2001)

The Pontiac Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan. It sits on 127 acres (51 ha). It hosted the Detroit Lions of the NFL from 1975–2001, the Detroit Pistons of the NBA from 1978–1988, the Michigan Panthers of the USFL from 1983–1984, the college football Cherry Bowl in 1984 and 1985 and Motor City Bowl from 1997 until 2001, the MHSAA football state finals from 1976–2004, and four first-round games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup. It was also one of the largest stadiums in the NFL during this time, after FedEx Field which opened in 1997.[citation needed]

For the World Cup games, a natural grass surface capable of growing inside the dome was developed and installed by a team from Michigan State University.[3] This grass surface was laid upon wooden pallets atop the artificial turf that is usually used. It was the first time that World Cup games were played indoors.[citation needed]

The Silverdome also hosted the 1979 NBA All-Star Game, Super Bowl XVI on January 28, 1982, and the 1988 and 1991 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Midwest Regionals. It also hosted three concerts of the The Jacksons Victory Tour in August 1984. In 1987, Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass there. Elvis Presley also performed a concert there on New Year's Eve in 1975, and had vowed to play there every other year. On March 29, 1987, the World Wrestling Federation's WrestleMania III established the largest indoor attendance record for a sporting event, with a crowd of 93,173 in attendance.[4][5][6][7]

On July 15, 1994, English rock band Pink Floyd performed their classic album The Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety for the first time since 1975. They played two shows on what turned out to be the band's final North American tour in 1994 in support of their album The Division Bell.[citation needed]

History

Conception

The idea of a major sports complex was part of a dream of C. Don Davidson,[8][9] a Pontiac, Michigan resident and star high school athlete. Davidson, upon graduating from Pontiac Central High School in 1947 [10] and active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, attended North Carolina State University on a football scholarship. After earning a masters degree in urban planning and architecture, Davidson began his career as an architect and was recognized for several government and city projects throughout the south including Florida's Jacksonville International Airport. Upon returning home to Pontiac in 1965, he was shocked to see the deterioration of the city of Pontiac and its lack of a future plan. Davidson embarked upon what would eventually become an obsession for him to see his beloved city succeed. In 1966-67, he was hired as a professor of architecture and urban planning at the University of Detroit under the direction of Bruno Leon, Dean of the school of architecture.[11]

Later on, Davidson met with various city and state authorities including William Clay Ford, owner of the Detroit Lions, to discuss the possibility of a new stadium, made it a college class project to find a suitable place for a new stadium and even started his own weekly newspaper known as The Pontiac Times,[12][13] to help promote his vision. After much controversy and sparring with Detroit city officials, Pontiac was chosen as the best site for construction of what would become known as the Pontiac Silverdome.[14][15] Already having a stadium concept as part of his master plan for the city, Davidson was interviewed and ultimately hired as chief project designer for the stadium project by the architectural firm of O'dell, Hewlett & Luckenbach.[16] Initial designs included a dual stadium complex for both football and baseball that was later scrapped due to high costs. Davidson was pleased to see a part of his vision for the city of Pontiac accomplished in the building of the 80,000-seat sports complex.[17][18] Completed in 1975 as the Pontiac Metropolitan Stadium, at a cost of $55.7 million, the Silverdome seats 80,311. It contains 102 luxury suites and 7,384 club seats.

Original silver-like roof

The original silver-like roof was built of Teflon-coated fiberglass panels, and supported by air pressure inside the stadium. Although the roof has always been white in color as viewed with the naked eye, the stadium obtained the name "Silverdome" due to a silver-like reflection caused by the sun, mainly noticed from the sky.[19] The roof was replaced by a new canvas fabric reinforced by steel girders after a freak spring snowstorm on March 4, 1985 caused structural damage to the old roof. Because of the damage, the Detroit Pistons played the remainder of the 1984–85 season at Joe Louis Arena [20] before eventually moving three miles north to a new 20,000-seat sports arena, The Palace of Auburn Hills, beginning with the 1988–89 season.

Notable audience attendance numbers

The largest crowd to ever gather at the Silverdome for an event was 93,682 for a visit and Mass by Pope John Paul II in 1987. The second largest crowd was on March 29, 1987 for WrestleMania III, with a reported attendance of 93,173. Another notable audience attendance record had earlier been broken on April 30, 1977, when English rock band Led Zeppelin played in front of 76,229 fans at the Silverdome. This was at the time a new world record attendance for a solo indoor attraction, beating the 75,962 that The Who attracted there in December 1975.[21] The Detroit Pistons also set numerous NBA attendance records during their time at the Silverdome.

Marching band activities and events

The Silverdome was also the home to many marching band activities and events, including the Michigan Competing Band Association State Marching Band Championships until 2005, the Bands of America Regional championships from 2003 to 2005, and the Bands of America Grand National Championships in 1987 and 1988.

Usage after Lions' move to Ford Field

The Lions moved to Ford Field at the beginning of the 2002 NFL season. When the World Hockey Association (WHA) tried to re-introduce itself, the new WHA Detroit team was slated to play their home games at the Silverdome. Plans were also mooted for a Windsor-based Canadian Football League team which could have used the dome for possible playoff games, but that team also did not materialize.

After the Lions relocated, activity in the Silverdome dropped drastically. However some usage was still present. Annually, Jehovah's Witnesses used the Silverdome from the late 1970s to 2004. Due to talk of renovation in 2004, the Witnesses opted to travel to The Dow Event Center in Saginaw, and the SeaGate Convention Centre in Toledo, Ohio for their District Conventions.[22] Between 2003 and 2006, the parking lot was used as a drive-in theater.

The Silverdome was used for Monster Jam on January 7, 2006. It was also used as a practice facility for the AFC Champions Pittsburgh Steelers for Super Bowl XL, with the NFL adding FieldTurf, which was later donated to a local high school. There was also a celebrity flag football game that Saturday which served as the last event ever at the Silverdome.

Purchase by Canadian developer for $583,000

With the City of Pontiac being in a serious financial crisis for several years and unable to continue the expensive upkeep and maintenance, several failed attempts were made to sell their crown jewel (Silverdome).[23][24] However, the city of Pontiac announced in October 2009 that the property would go to auction with no minimum bid, and that zoning regulations would be relaxed for any buyer in order to spark development[25]. The Silverdome was auctioned by Williams & Williams auctioneers on behalf of the City of Pontiac in November 2009.[26]. After reading about the auction in a newspaper, property manager Andreas Apostolopoulos of Toronto decided to submit a bid of US$583,000. After learning that he had submitted the winning bid, which he said was "a bit surprising," the Canadian made arrangements to visit the Silverdome in late November and take a look at his new property.[27][28] The sale of the Silverdome, completed in 1975 at a cost of $55.7 million (approx. $220 million in 2009 dollars), and sold in 2009 for $583,000 was viewed by many as a symbol of the collapse of real estate prices in the Detroit metropolitan area though many local leaders and residents claimed the sale was brought about due to the incompetence of city management and their not having a vision or future plans for the stadium and surrounding area. [29]

See also

References

  1. ^ http://archives.record-eagle.com/2005/apr/pope/03dome.htm
  2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=AUZyxLK85iIC&pg=PT74&lpg=PT74&dq=Silverdome+93,682&source=bl&ots=e03FR8jxmH&sig=XFe5wnLucAvJBVWhT5Ur-3Ojjc8&hl=en&ei=WNIGS_apF9PHlAfP6_mEBA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=8&ved=0CB8Q6AEwBw#v=onepage&q=Silverdome%2093%2C682&f=false
  3. ^ http://www.athleticturf.net/athleticturf/article/articleDetail.jsp?id=308153
  4. ^ Yandek, Chris (2003). "Interview: Randy Savage". Wrestling Digest. Retrieved 2007-10-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  5. ^ Eck, Kevin (2002). "The main events: ladies and gentlemen, may we present the 25 most memorable matches in the last 25 years". Wrestling Digest. Retrieved 2007-10-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  6. ^ Shields, Brian (2006). Main Event: WWE in the Raging 80s. Simon and Schuster. p. 26. ISBN 1416532579.
  7. ^ Loverro, Thom (2006). The Rise & Fall of ECW: Extreme Championship Wrestling. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 1416510583.
  8. ^ Charles Donald Davidson Feb.4,1929 - April 1, 1987
  9. ^ [1]
  10. ^ Pontiac High School archives 1945-47
  11. ^ [2]
  12. ^ http://silverdome-architect.blogspot.com/2009/03/pontiac-times-newspaper-april-4-1974.html
  13. ^ [3]
  14. ^ Pontiac Press Newspapers - circa 1970-72
  15. ^ Pontiac Times Newspapers - circa 1972-75
  16. ^ [4]
  17. ^ http://www.genealogy.com/users/b/r/o/Eve-Helen-Brown/FILE/0002text.txt (#125)
  18. ^ http://hermaland.blogspot.com/2006/01/good-times-and-bad-times.html
  19. ^ The Oakland Press, circa 1976
  20. ^ http://www.nba.com/pistons/history/1980s.html
  21. ^ Pontiac Silverdome
  22. ^ http://www.jw-media.org/region/americas/usa/english/releases/events/usa_e040302.htm
  23. ^ Second attempt to deal Silverdome falls through
  24. ^ Council approves sale of Silverdome
  25. ^ Place Your Bids: Silverdome Goes on the Block
  26. ^ Pontiac Silverdome Auction
  27. ^ Toronto developer acquires Pontiac Silverdome The Globe and Mail, 23 November 2009
  28. ^ http://freep.com/article/20091116/NEWS03/91116065/1318/Canadian-firm-submits-winning-bid-of-583000-for-Silverdome
  29. ^ Silverdome Sells for $583,000:
Preceded by Home of
Detroit Lions
1975–2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of the
NBA All-Star Game
1979 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of
Super Bowl XVI
1982 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Home of the
Detroit Pistons
1978–1988 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
first venue
 Home of the
Cherry Bowl
1984–1985 		Succeeded by
last venue
Preceded by Host of
Bands of America
Grand National Championship
1987–1988 		Succeeded by
Preceded by
first stadium
 Host of
Motor City Bowl
1997–2001 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Host of
WrestleMania III
1987 		Succeeded by

Template:Super Bowl venues

Template:WrestleMania venues

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