Social Anchor of the Pelican State: Intangible Benefits and Economic Impact of the Superdome

Abstract

Abstract: The Louisiana Superdome has had tremendous impact on the Gulf Coast region since it’s opening in 1975. With the region, the Superdome has had to adjust to potential economic, social, and infrastructural changes alongside natural disasters by opening as a shelter of last resort during hurricanes. The total direct economic impact from stadium operations was estimated to $934.28 million during the first ten years of operations of the stadium from 1975 to 1984. It important to analyze how much this facility has economically impacted the region in the first ten years of operations as well as social impacts. As the NFL’s New Orleans Saints prepared to play in their first game in the Superdome post-Katrina in 2005, Chris Rose, a former columnist in the Times-Picayune, stated, “The Superdome, for the past year, an icon of our national disgrace, is now a cause for celebration. The Superdome is the most visible building on our city’s skyline. Its durability is our durability” (Rose, 2006, para, 2).