Impact and Legacy
By 2005, the majesty of the Superdome was waining. The Saints were eyeing a move to San Antonio, just like the Houston Oilers, their benchmark of constant comparison, had moved to Nashville as the Astrodome deteriorated.
That all changed as Hurricane Katrina ravaged the city of New Orleans. On the otherside of the disatser the Superdome found a new life as the symbol of a city. Constant clips of residents trying to seek refuge within its badly damaged walls raised the Superdome up as a point of relisilliance. After a year long closure, the Saints returned to the Superdome in a highly dramatic Monday Night football spectacle in which they defeated the Atlanta Falcons. They would go on to win the Super Bowl for the first time in franchise history in 2010, and event that was largely seen as a moment of closure and rebirth for New Orleans as well as the franchise, which would now be forever intwertwined in a way few stadiums are with their cities.
This change of tone toward the building led to a change of tone toward the franchise as well, and instead of a move, a decision was made to rennovate the building and keep the Saints in New Orleans. $450 million was spent to bring the building back up to snuff.
50 years after the construction of the Superdome, it's economic impact is largely baked into the city of New Orleans. It was instrumental in the transition of New Orleans into a tourism hub, and the impact it has had on the Central Business District of New Orleans can be seen mostly in its continued expansions. From the original dome and adjacent shopping mall, the complex now houses another, smaller arena and Champions Square shopping and dining area.
Today, the impacts are mostly measured in the money brought in by Super Bowls. New Orleans has hosted the Super Bowl 11 times, 8 of which were at the Superdome, making it the most used for the purpose in the country. It also regularly hosts the Sugar Bowl, a major collegiate football draw, and NCAA Basketball tournaments. Concerts, Conventions and even boxing and baseball among other sports have made use of the facility, bringing in millions of tourist dollars. However what came before, and the effect on local residents cannot be overlooked.
Thousands of people called the Central Business District home. Today there are few who still do, with 2020 census estimates placing a population of around 3,500 in what was once a large and diverse neighborhood. The legacy of the area, and of the Girod Street Cemetery, cannot be erased, living on in the minds of New Orleanians and Saints fans alike. Even now that a hurricane seems to have washed clean the rumored curse, its effects on the early years of the team, and the willingness of the residents to buy into it will ensure that the neglect that led the Saints to the CBD will never be lost.