Judge OKs $583,000 sale of 80,300-seat Pontiac Silverdome, ex-Lions, Pistons home, to Canadian

Judge refuses to block sale of Pontiac Silverdome

PONTIAC, Mich. — A judge has rejected a request to block the $583,000 sale of the 80,300-seat Pontiac Silverdome to a Canadian company.

The former home of the Detroit Lions and Detroit Pistons was built in 1975 for $56 million, or about $220 million today. Pope John Paul II, Michael Jackson and the Rolling Stones all appeared at the venue.

Some residents of suburban Pontiac sued to block the sale to Toronto-based Triple Properties Inc., which plans to use it for sports events.

Oakland County Circuit Judge Edward Sosnick refused to issue a restraining order Friday to block the sale, saying the residents appear to lack legal standing to intervene.