The ultimate auto-X facility......

......slips through our fingers. Back in the mid 70's the Pontiac Silverdome was built for something like 200 million or so. It's been sitting unused for a number of years now (well, nearly unused). A few years ago someone tried to buy it for 20 million and the deal fell through, I think it had something to do with the city not wanting to sell it for so little. Well, last week it was auctioned off. The winning bid? A little $500,000!! Yes, just over half a million dollars for almost 130 acres or prime real estate right at the junctions of two major highways.

Man, I just can't stop thinking about it. I know it would cost a ton to either tear down the silberdome or to keep it up and running but man think about it. You could build 10 auto-X courses there at a time and have room to spare, and that's with the dome still standing. I mean, IF there were enough auto clubs to support it I think you could pay for the whole years mortgage and taxes just over the summer. I mean, how many clubs have to facilities to chose from every summer? None I would think. Here, there are 10 courses right here for the choosing.

Yes, it sold for so little that the City of Pontiac is attempting to block the sale.
http://www.freep.com/article/20091118/NEWS03/91118027/1320/Judge-to-rule-Monday-on-Silverdome-sale

It seems that the group that placed the "winning bid" of $585k also placed an offer of $20 million a year earlier.

Built in 1975 for $55 million. To put that in terms of modern 2009 dollars, it would be over $222 million dollars.
$585k vs. $55 million is about 1% of the original price.
$585k vs $222 million is about one quarter of 1% of the original price.

Of course, I can not imgine what it must cost to repave the parking lot?

you could prolly autox inside of it too

Indoor kart track for the winter, anyone?

that parking lot is hell on cars. DRSCCA used to solo there. its ROUGH!

they had the FSAE competitions there for many years also.

Ive been on the field of the silverdome. Its roof is held up by air pressure (its some kinda tarp essentially). Theres a big airlock between the grounds and the inner chamber - its essentially a pair of 2 car garage doors about 20' apart. Only one up at a time to keep the roof from collapsing. the awesome thing is that if the outer door is open, you can still open a man door in the airlock. The air that rushes out is strong enough that if youre wearing a jacket and open it and hold the open edges, you can lean at a pretty shallow angle into the wind and stay upright.

that is as far as I know the only cool thing about that arena...THE ONLY COOL THING

I remember they used to rent the parking lot out for $3k a day 10 years ago or so.

KJ

Oh man, the old FSAE stomping grounds! You can even see all the old autocross courses rubber'd out on the asphalt!

The Silverdome is almost identical to the Metrodome in Minneapolis, in construction anyway. When you leave the place, the air pressure inside kind of blows you out the door.

They have supercross and monster truck events inside during the winter; I've never attended one but I've always wondered about how smoky it must get inside.

Well, the purchase price may have only been 500k, but articles I have read put the annual carrying costs of the facility (while it sat vacant) at over 1.5mil a year. The purchase price of an enormous, vacant, unused building is often only a tiny fraction of the actual cost of taking ownership.

That said, now that there is a new owner who is presumably seeking to wring out any possible revenue stream from this facility, this is probably a great time for car clubs to approach the owners about using the lots.

Pretty sure they ran a couple of ASA sanctioned stock car races inside there back in the early 80's.

So...no one thought to call Ken Block?

Josh wrote: Well, the purchase price may have only been 500k, but articles I have read put the annual carrying costs of the facility (while it sat vacant) at over 1.5mil a year. The purchase price of an enormous, vacant, unused building is often only a tiny fraction of the actual cost of taking ownership.

So the only thing more expensive than a cheap Porsche is a $500k Silverdome.

sobe_death wrote: Oh man, the old FSAE stomping grounds! You can even see all the old autocross courses rubber'd out on the asphalt!

Sniff... oh the memories! It just isn't the same at Michigan International Speedway.

If it cost $50 million to build thirty years ago, imagine how much it will cost to renovate nowadays.

Best days: The day you buy it, followed by the day you sell it.

Announcer: " Today's FTD.. Paul, in the Misfit Yugo, with a 4:59.94 !"

First sub-5 minute lap ever done at this course!

Detroit SCCA autocrosed there a lot in the past. Hell, we could build a road course on that property, have lots of room left for several autocross courses, and an indoor paddock! Tear up a section of pavement for the rallycross crew.

I've logged lots of runs at the Silverdome. The 'dome site wasn't ideal, but it was better than a lot of still-used locations in other areas. Hell, compared to Sebring it's flat as glass. It would have been cool to see the SCCA Central Division or Detroit Council of Sports Car Clubs pool resources to secure it, but I think the bidding ended lower than anybody would have predicted.

Also, taxes on that location are bound to be ridiculous. Better to rent from the new owners.