Pieces of the former home of the Detroit Lions will soon be auctioned off, as renovations of the Pontiac Silverdome get underway. Fans will have the opportunity to own seats, signs and even stadium urinals, by way of an auction being handled by Plymouth, Michigan-based RJM Auctions. The auction will be held between May 12-16, and a pre-auction is offering seats for sale, starting at $100 a pop.
The Silverdome held 80,000 seats, and RJM Auctions facilities manager Jim Passeno has stated that every seat will be sold, pending buyer interest.
The Silverdome opened in 1975, and is located in Pontiac, and spans 127 acres. It was once the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in Washington, D.C. opened in 1997. The Silverdome hosted the Detroit Lions of the NFL (1975–2001), the Detroit Pistons of the NBA (1978–1988) and four first-round games during the 1994 FIFA World Cup.
During a winter storm, the dome was permanently damaged, as seen here:
The Silverdome is presently owned by Triple Investment Group, and renovations plan for a permanent, self-supporting roof which includes solar panels.
Potential buyers can order clusters of seats at the RJM Auction site here. One can have 4 adjoining Silverdome seats for $385, and for an extra $25, a certificate of authenticity would be included. The scoreboard will also be up for auction.
Silverdome intrigue via Twitter:
I'd love a Barry Sanders-autographed Silverdome urinal, but I won't be getting one http://t.co/sR1GjDFR6u
— Michael David Smith (@MichaelDavSmith) March 21, 2014
Silverdome auction = get a piece of not so storied history
— Juwan Showered (@musingsmarsh) March 21, 2014
Will the Pontiac Silverdome become the world's largest bird bath? http://t.co/Ml7aF87Kvb
— Curbed Detroit (@CurbedDetroit) March 20, 2014
During its heyday, the Silverdome hosted Elvis, Led Zeppelin, Pope John Paul II, The Who, Pink Floyd and the Jackson 5. On March 29, 1987, the World Wrestling Federation’s WrestleMania III set the record attendance of 93,173, the largest recorded crowd for a live indoor sporting event in the U.S.
Image via YouTube.