Judge clears way for $583,000 auction sale of Pontiac Silverdome to Canadian buyer

Judge clears $583,000 Pontiac Silverdome sale

PONTIAC, Mich. — A judge cleared the way Monday for a Canadian company to pay $583,000 for the Pontiac Silverdome, built for $55.7 million in 1975 to house the NFL’s Detroit Lions.

The Lions abandoned the 80,300-seat stadium in 2002, when they moved to Detroit’s Ford Field. Pontiac has been spending $1.5 million a year to maintain the largely unused stadium.

Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Edward Sosnick refused to grant a preliminary injunction to Silver Stallion Corp., which made a $20 million offer for the Silverdome last year.

That deal fell through in a dispute over environmental cleanup costs.

Sosnick earlier issued a temporary restraining order blocking the sale to Triple Properties Inc. of Toronto.

The city said the Canadian company will take ownership in 45 days.

At a hearing earlier Monday, Silver Stallion lawyer David McGruder said the people of Pontiac would be harmed by the sale said the deal contained no guarantee it would create jobs in the economically depressed city.

In his written opinion, Sosnick said Silver Stallion can continue to pursue legal action against Pontiac, but that the company’s claims are unlikely to succeed.