Pontiac Silverdome Implosion Fails

The Pontiac Silverdome wanted to stick around a little longer.

The Detroit-area stadium, which hosted a number of major sporting events in the 1980s and 1990s, has been in a state of disrepair pretty much since the Lions moved to a new stadium in 2002. The building was scheduled to be imploded this morning in order to pave way for redevelopment in the area.

Last month, the city explained the plan: “Each vertical beam surrounding the Silverdome will house a small charge, which upon detonation, will cause the beams to break and the steel ring to fall to the ground.”

That didn’t happen. An executive from the demolition company, Adamo Group, told the Detroit Free Press wiring failed on the demolition attempt. The structure could still fall, but they’re not sure when.

“Unless we find something in the next few hours researching the wiring, we will take it down mechanically,” Cuppetilli said. “We haven’t found the wire yet. It’s going to take us a while to research it all.”

Allie Gross, a Free Press reporter, tweeted that she was standing next to Adamo employees when the implosion was attempted.

Lions fans in attendance were reportedly shocked—usually it was well into the afternoon before they left the Pontiac Silverdome parking lot disappointed.