Demolition date set for Pontiac Silverdome – Pontiac Demolition Professional

Demolition of the Pontiac Silverdome is set to kick-off on Sunday, Dec. 3 with a bang.

A partial implosion of the 20-foot, steel band that once held the 80,311-seat stadium’s inflatable roof in place will take place on that day, with plans to host a public viewing event during the implosion currently in the works, according to Deirdre Waterman, mayor of Pontiac.

The rest of the Silverdome will be demolished by hydraulic excavators. It could take anywhere from eight months to a year to bring the dome down, Waterman said.

That’s including filling the approximately 50-foot deep hole in the ground that will be left behind after demolition. The lower half of the hole will be filled with concrete crushed on site, while the top will be filled with a clean-fill.

That clean-fill is one part of the reason why it’s taken months for a demolition permit to be submitted since an original consent agreement to tear down the dome was signed by the city of Pontiac and the stadium’s owners, Toronto-based Triple Investment Group, over the summer.

“That was a point of negotiation, we had to make sure the fill was not environmentally unsafe or something that would have a long lasting impact on the environment,” Waterman said. “We would have liked for this to go faster but the process of disconnecting the utilities was a mammoth project.”

The Adamo Group, contractors hired to demolish the Silverdome, were not immediately available for comment.

During the implosion, vertical beams surrounding the dome will be fixed with small charges. Once detonated, the beams will break, sending the steel ring to the ground.

About 1,7000 tons of structural steel and 1,800 tons of rebar will be recycled at a ferrous processing plant within the city throughout the demolition process, according to a release from the city.

Waterman also said that the city and the Silverdome’s owners have been looking at options and offers from developers.

“The site is desirable and valuable here in the city, so I do know they have been moving forward with looking at options in that regard, and the city has worked with them in terms of receiving and analyzing the offers, as they invited us to do so,” Waterman said.

When asked what she would like to see happen with the Silverdome site, Waterman said that she’d hope to see something that carries the new narrative of Pontiac working to become a technology-business focused environment.

“Something that increases Pontiac’s image as a destination city. There are many different kinds of options that could fill that site and would benefit the city, the region and its owners,” Waterman said.

“We’re just happy to get to this point.”

In case of inclement weather on Sunday, Dec. 3, an alternative date for the implosion is set for Sunday.