"Father of Superdome" honored Wednesday with dedication of Dave Dixon Drive
 

Motorists driving between the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and the New Orleans Arena in the coming days might notice a new street sign. In reality the sign has been years in the making.

Dixon was instrumental in convincing NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to expand the league into New Orleans in 1966. It was Dixon who walked into Gov. John McKeithen's office and pitched the idea of a domed stadium in New Orleans. At the time, the only such stadium was the Houston Astrodome.

The Superdome has hosted six Super Bowls with a seventh on the way, four BCS championship games and five NCAA Men's Final Fours since its inception. And the financial impact on Louisiana hasn't been small, said Dixon's son, Frank.

The Superdome, which cost $134 million to build, has more than paid back its price, according to a 1995 study by local economist Tim Ryan.


From 1975-95 "the Dome generated over a billion dollars of income for Louisiana residents, over $80 million in revenue for local governments, and over $4.5 billion of new economic activity in the state of Louisiana," Ryan's report said. "When all is said and done, the Louisiana Superdome will go down as one of the wisest investments that the state has ever made."

"Father of Superdome" honored Wednesday with dedication of Dave Dixon Drive | NOLA.com

Re: "Father of Superdome" honored Wednesday with dedication of Dave Dixon Drive
 

Very nice