It’s the end of an era in metro-Detroit, where a once proud stadium that hosted the Detroit Lions, several headline concerts, other sporting events and even a papal mass is set for Demolition.

The Pontiac Silverdome will finally meet its demise next month. Demolition is officially set for December 3.

It won’t all be at once, however. An explosion will break the metal beams that support the building’s upper ring. Afterwards, the demolition process will continue via hydraulic excavators. The entire process is estimated to take approximately one year to complete.

“Each vertical beam surrounding the Silverdome will house a small charge, which upon detonation, will cause the beams to break and the steel ring to fall to the ground,” the city announced in a news release.

One advantage of the process, as noted by Pontiac mayor Deirdre Waterman, is that the taxpayers won’t be on the hook for the cost. 

“Taxpayers paid a lot to build the Silverdome. We don’t need to be encumbered with the cost of taking it down,” Waterman said in an interview.

Detroit based contractor Adamo Group, along with Silverdome owner Triple Investment Group, is responsible for the costs.

“Farewell Silverdome, hello world of new opportunity,” Waterman continued. “When the demolition is complete, the site will be one of the hottest properties in southeast Michigan.”

The 42 year old venue has rarely been used since the Lions relocated to Ford Field in downtown Detroit. A winter storm in 2013 damaged the roof, which exposed everything inside to the harsh Michigan elements.