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Well, granted, the Silverdome is a large building, but there are a few things to consider:
#1: Most of that space is seating. Where would you ever find the room for pit areas for the number of teams we would be talking about. Where would all the fields be? The fact of the matter is: a football stadium may hold a lot of people, but it doesn't hold a lot of things. It was designed for people to watch football on one field.
#2: The property values are tremendous. One of the major reasons for selling the stadium is the inflated price of real estate in Oakland County. The stadium property is worth millions more as industrial property than as a football stadium, so the city of Pontiac (who owns the stadium) will probably sell it as industrial property when the Lions leave.
#3: Upkeep. If FIRST is indeed able to purchase the Dome, the price to keep it in working order would be astounding. It is a 20-year old facility, and needs lots of work to keep it going. The facility is beginning to show its age, and that is one reason why the team is leaving (but not the only one).
#4 Why would anyone want to come to Detroit in the spring? There could even be a major snowstorm the weekend of Nats (not likely, but it has happened). Our lovely airport could close, and that's definitely a problem you won't have in Florida.
#5: Besides, there really isn't anything to do in Detroit, much less in Oakland County. Part of the fun of Nats is the Disney element. It may not be the only reason to go, but it is certainly a bonus that draws students into the program. If the Nationals are in Detroit, there's no "Wow this robotics thing is cool! I get to go to Disney World" factor to help draw students.
I'm sure every point I gave will be worked around if this were to happen, but this is the way I see it: The Silverdome appears to be a good idea, but the problems outweigh the few gains that would be made.
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