How to watch the Pontiac Silverdome implosion

Pontiac — Plans are set for the public viewing and farewell for the demolition of the Pontiac Silverdome, which is scheduled to begin on Sunday.

The implosion at 8:30 a.m. will be the first phase in a yearlong demolition of the 400,000-square-foot former home of the Detroit Lions.

There will be a public parking and viewing area for the demolition at the Oakland County Water Resource Commission site at 155 N. Opdyke. Vehicles must be parked by 8:15 a.m.

The City of Pontiac issued a demolition permit earlier this month to Detroit-based Adamo Group for the Pontiac Silverdome.

The first implosion will break metal beams at the perimeter of the stadium that were used to keep the roof inflated.

The rest of the demolition will be done in phases during the next year with the use of hydraulic excavators followed by a vacuuming process to pick up the broken materials.

Pontiac Mayor Deirdre Waterman will be joined by city and state officials, business and community leaders as well as sports celebrities in a private event on site prior to the implosion.

In case of inclement weather, the event will be rescheduled for Dec. 10. Viewers can watch the event live online.

The nearly 130-acre site fell into disuse once the Lions left for Ford Field in 2002 — losing its inflatable dome after a snowstorm and essentially functioning as the world’s largest bird bath.

The belief is that while the Silverdome itself is a “blighted structure” that “lost its integrity” and was unattractive to international investors approached about rehabbing it, the land itself, with the M-59 freeway to the south and Interstate 75 to the east, is attractive, Waterman has said.

cwilliams@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @CWilliams_DN