Architect In Training

I waited until everything died down and the sale was actually final to write something about the Pontiac Silverdome being sold.  While I'm happy that it happened finally, I'm not so happy with how it happened.  The auction for this 127.5 acre lot went for $583,000.  I am left dumbfounded as to how this could happen and how a city could accept an offer like this.  In my opinion, it's a slap in the face and shows just how dire the city's finances are in.  Being a native of the area, I could go on for days about this but I will break it down quickly.

I'm bothered by this because I've grown up with the Silverdome being the backdrop to my back yard.  It's as if the structure is apart of my family.  Okay, maybe not close family, but family nonetheless.  Everyday in the summer when I went outside to play with neighborhood friends, the Silverdome was there.  I used to walk over train tracks to get to it.  I dangerously walked/ran across M-59 to get to it.  I could hear Monster Truck shows that happened there at night as if it was a younger brother crying in another room, keeping everyone awake.  During the winter, our Christmas tree was positioned near a window that had the 'Dome' in the background.  And now you're telling me that someone in my family is only worth $583,000?!  That hurts.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for making money and getting the most bang for your buck, but this is just insane.  To show you how insane this is, I've done a little math for everyone to take a look at.  The price of The Pontiac Silverdome is the equivalent to:

- Seven 750i BMW Sedans (No add-ons, just the basic package)
- One house in Bloomfield Hills, Beverly Hills, or Farmington Hills
- One Hundred Seventeen (117) Really nice MacBook Pros (avg. cost $5000)

I guess my point is that Pontiac didn't get much for what they gave.  Just seven luxury cars?  There's probably 60,000 parking spaces and we just get enough to fill seven?!  That's fair!?  All I can do is shake my head and at the same time, tip my hat to the company that got this steal.  Though I don't see a professional soccer team flourishing in Pontiac, I've been wrong before.  Here's hoping that something great happens with that piece of land.  Wow, 583,000 for 128 acres.  That's amazing.

Thomas Bowman Out.