For the Superdome, 40 is the new 30. And that promises to extend the stadium’s viability for at least another two decades.
An ongoing post-Katrina interior remodeling combined with an exterior makeover, plus a level of cooperation with the principal tenant that was as unexpected as the damage the storm wrought in 2005, has the facility, which marks the 40th anniversary of its opening Monday and is the sixth-oldest in the NFL, arguably as cutting edge as it was in 1975.
“In the 1970s, the Superdome was considered the future of stadiums everywhere,” said Doug Thornton, vice president of SMG, which manages the Superdome and the adjacent Smoothie King Center.