Explosion to kick off Pontiac Silverdome demolition

The long-awaited demolition of the Pontiac Silverdome is expected to start within 45 days of early June. JC Reindl, Detroit Free Press

Diesel Volkswagen and Audi vehicles that VW bought back from consumers sit in the parking lot of the Pontiac Silverdome on Aug. 4, 2017 in Pontiac.(Photo: Jeff Kowalsky, AFP/Getty Images)

The Pontiac Silverdome will have anexplosive start to its final chapter.

The empty stadium's long-awaited demolition could start before year's endand kick off with a celebration featuring a minor implosion,Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman said Friday.

"There is going to be an implosion a small implosion," Waterman said.

The implosion won'ttake down the entire structure, the mayor said, and the bulk of the demolition wouldbe done with hydraulic excavators over several months. The demolition crews will take down the structure"from the inside out,"she said.

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The city is planning tomark the start of demolition with a special event that could featureformer Detroit Lions players. The highlight of the event could be someone pressing a button to set off the explosives.

"We may call it a farewell to the Silverdome," Waterman said. "We might even have an auction on who wants to push the button."

Detroit-based contractor Adamo Group has beenunder private contract for the demolition work with theSilverdome's owner, Triple Investment Group. A company representative could not be reachedFriday.

Demolition of the Detroit Lions' former home was mandated earlier this year by ajudgment in50th District Court ina nuisance-abatement case brought by the city against Triple Investment.

Waterman said the implosion will have to waituntil Adamo finishes blowing up the Georgia Dome, former home of the Atlanta Falcons, in an implosionset for Nov. 20. The mayor is hopeful theSilverdome explosion canhappen before year's end.

"We need to wait for them to do that," she said.

The Silverdome opened in 1975 and has been used only sporadically since 2002, when the Lions moved to Ford Field in Detroit. The stadium's inflatable roof was damaged in a winter storm several years ago, exposing everything inside and speeding its physical decay.

Triple Investment bought the stadium from the city in a 2009 auction for $583,000. After failing to find a buyer for the site, the firm announced a possible spring 2016 demolition, but that date slipped.

Most recently, the parking lot around the Silverdome has been used to store nearly 9,000 Volkswagens that were recalled as part of the German automaker's diesel-emissions scandal. At least 69 of the vehicles were stolen from the propertylast summer.

Waterman said the 127-acre property will be easier to market forredevelopment once the Silverdome is gone. It is one of six sites that Oakland County offered up to help Detroit in itsregional bid to landAmazon's second headquarters.

Contact JC Reindl: 313-222-6631 or jcreindl@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JCReindl.

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Explosion to kick off Pontiac Silverdome demolition