Abandoned Detroit stadium a symbol of American decay

IT WAS once a shining beacon of hope but after being abandoned four years ago this dome stands unused, awaiting demolition.

The Pontiac Silverdome as it looked in 2001.

BUILT at huge cost to the public in the 1970s the Pontiac Silverdome was once a shining beacon of hope and prosperity in troubled Detroit.

Four decades later — much like the rest of Motor City — the building stands unused, unwanted and waiting for demolition, The Sun reports.

American photographer Jeff Hagerman gained access to the Silverdome, the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions from 1975-2001 and the NBA’s Detroit Pistons from 1978 to 1988.

It also hosted WrestleMania III — where Hulk Hogan famously body slammed Andre the Giant — early group games from the 1994 World Cup and Super Bowl XVI.

His photos show a crumbling, decaying wreck with empty food stands, rubbish strewn everywhere and irreparable structural damage — the white fabric on the seats is where the roof has disintegrated.

Eerie photos by Jeff Hagerman show the Pontiac Silverdome standing decrepit and abandoned. Picture: Media Drum World/australscope

A table is covered in burnt ash where part of the ceiling appears to have collapsed. Picture: Media Drum World/australscope

Hagerman said: “I had obviously known about the famous location, but after pictures started popping up of the imploded dome, we decided to take a trip to see it.

“It has been abandoned since 2013. Aside from the Detroit Lions (and Barry Sanders) playing there, there were many events held there, including Superbowl XVI in 1982.

“Most people don’t even realise the place still exists. It’s surprising how much money must be being wasted.”

Beer bottles sit on a table. Picture: Media Drum World/australscope

A view from an executive suite shows irreparable structural damage. Picture: Media Drum World/australscope

The stadium was built at a cost of $55m in the early 1970s, about $250m adjusted for inflation.

Since the Lions left the Silverdome for the even shinier Ford Field — which cost $430m in 1999 — the 82,000-capacity stadium has barely been used.

There had been bids of $18 million for the stadium but it went to auction and eventually sold for just $583,000 — another sign that the city was in a state of irreparable decay.

Despite promises that the stadium would be transformed into a ‘big-event venue’, it continued to cost its owners.

A monster trucks event officially reopened the Silverdome in 2010, AC Milan and Panathinaikos played a pre-season friendly there and former world champion boxer Tim Bradley fought a unification bout with Devon Alexander in 2011.

Its owners were pushing for a Major League Soccer team, but when that didn’t materialise, the owners gave up, announcing they would be auctioning off the contents — including seats and fixtures — in 2014.

The stadium is now due to be demolished sometime this year and the 127-acre site is again up for sale — at a cost of $30 million.

A new $730 million multipurpose arena under construction in mid-town Detroit will house the NBA’s Pistons and NHL’s Red Wings.

Construction of Olympia Entertainment's Little Caesars Arena continues. Picture: AFP/Jeff Kowalsky.

Little Caesars Arena will host the Pistons and Red Wings.

The demise of the Silverdome is symbolic of much of Detroit’s plight.

Detroit was once a powerhouse of the American economy and the automobile industry.

From the late 19th century to the 1950s, with Ford, General Motors, Chrysler and others and the boom in manufacturing during World War II, Detroit was at the centre.

The city’s population peaked at just under two million and the rate of unemployment was about 10 per cent.

In the years since, the collapse of the American auto industry, job losses, race riots, a lack of investment, the city’s poor design and gang violence have all been blamed for a sharp decline.

The population is down to around 700,000 and the unemployment rate is almost 23 per cent — the largest of any big city in the US.

After announcing a comprehensive plan to centralise the city and demolish up to a quarter of the city, a comprehensive analysis of the city’s buildings found that 50,000 of the city’s 261,000 structures were abandoned.

This article was originally published by The Sun and reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Abandoned Detroit stadium a symbol of American decay