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The rebirth of the Superdome

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  • Description

    A dream becomes reality for New Orleans

  • Duration 4:35
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But first here is Craig on the rebirth of the super -- nor its.

The stage is set its final preparations go into Sunday's Super Bowl 47 here in New Orleans, Louisiana.

But for the efforts of one man this stadium the Mercedes-Benz superdome might not be standing it was just water everywhere.

70% of the roof was was destroyed allowing be.

The rain to come through and saturate all the seats.

August 20 ninth 2005.

Hurricane Katrina slammed into New Orleans the killer storm wrecked the -- -- city.

Levees failed catastrophically.

Entire neighborhood -- over a thousand dead tens of thousands stranded hundreds of thousands homeless.

It was horrible and that's the thing I'll never forget was The Who has to smell.

The smell of human waste garbage for five grueling days the iconic Louisiana Superdome was refuge of last resort.

For 30000.

Men women and children.

Throughout the ordeal -- -- Doug Gordon was in charge -- -- like you being here during that storm seeing your beloved superdome being battered that that's the best way I can describe it it was like watching a loved one our friend be beaten up by a bully.

And you're helpless to control here watching it happen -- it's just -- so much frustration in your thinking when is it gonna stop when it was finally over Doug and his wife Denise had joined New Orleans legion of homeless.

Seven feet of water inundated their home destroying much of their belongings and once the storm it cleared and it will forget.

Just think it myself how in the world is it ever going to be the same.

Doug describes flying over the superdome not knowing whether or not he would ever come back but decided to rebuild.

When he told you that that's what he wanted to do what was your first.

Well I must tell you it was not a happy place in our room.

I could not understand.

Why he -- it to.

Use all of his energy and the millions of dollars to renovate a football stadium.

And it at a concert arena but.

There were no fans that everyone was gone most of the people in this city.

More homeless I would tell the nation.

This could be a symbol of recovery we could just turn -- roof -- again it's a two million square foot building people will believe in this recovery you can renovate that building.

Certainly it will -- after engineers certified the building as structurally sound.

Doesn't help the stumbled the biggest stadium reconstruction project ever attempted.

And accomplished it in record time.

336.

Million dollars in federal state and NFL money going into what is now a state of the art facility it did stimulate the rebirth of our city and but the superdome stands for -- today is just something more.

They just a football stadium it's an iconic facility that.

Really shines as a symbol of our recovery if you build it they will come.

A year after the storm the superdome was again.

And the crowd joined a television audience.

Millions tuning into an emotion charged New Orleans Saints victory over the Atlanta Falcons what we're about to do here were Super Bowl is the manifestation of seven years of hard work by the entire community and -- people like Denise.

Donnelly to bring the don't -- but to bring the neighborhoods back.

The overall economic impact of the Super Bowl alone is estimated to be.

Half a billion dollars -- didn't.

We're Super Bowl 47 kicks off the world will be watching cheering not only the -- But the remarkable recovery of this resilient city and another community which has suffered tragedy.

Stirring rendition of America the beautiful -- -- by Jennifer Hudson and the sandy hook elementary school choir.

All children who survived December's -- formats.

Seeing all the history here Denise what do you think of Doug's decision to stay -- -- Well I I think it was a good one it turned out to.

While all is not perfect here yeah.

Every night why do.

-- experience here in the French Quarter had to turn back and that's a -- than the 49 has been.

Superdome.

-- -- -- -- Banks and thank you folks are watching and --

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