New owner wants more sports in Silverdome

PONTIAC, Mich., Nov. 27 (UPI) -- The Pontiac Silverdome in Michigan could become home to other sports events besides soccer, the likely new owner says.

Andreas Apostolopoulos, owner of Toronto-based Triple Properties Inc., hopes to make an announcement in January about which teams will use the facility, The Detroit Free Press reported.

"I like sports and I like being involved with sports, so I hope to bring sporting events people will like," he said Wednesday. "I'm not just thinking soccer, but football or baseball or whatever."

The 80,311-seat arena is now owned by the city of Pontiac. Officials say it costs the city $1.5 million a year to run.

A judge ruled Monday that Bloomfield Hills lawyer H. Wallace Parker and his Silver Stallion Corp. could not stop the sale to Triple Properties. An agreement between the city and Silver Stallion collapsed in 2008.

The Detroit Lions played in the Silverdome for many years after it was built in 1975 for $55.7 million.

Apostopoulos's winning bid for the stadium was only $583,000.