Pier Construction Questions

I am looking for advice, experience, and opinions to help me formulate a decision on how to proceed with constructing a pier. I am looking at two primary options, but are open to other suggestions.

1. Pour a concrete base, or mount to an existing concrete slab, using a pre-made steel pier.

2. Pour a fully concrete pier and use a leveling plate to affix said pier to the mount.

I have spent time considering several significant pros and cons of either setup including cost, but one of my top priorities is that it will last. Though I feel like either solution achieves that goal, different sacrifices are made in either choice.

I do not currently have a dome or building that the pier will be set in, but that is a potential future project, so I don't want to rule out that option. 

I currently use my EQ6-R Pro on the Skywatcher mount with a pier extension, but between pets and small humans, the polar alignment is easily lost. I am thinking that a pier would help eliminate some of this headache and be a good step towards a more permanent setup.

Thanks to all, in advance, for your thoughts and insight and I look forward to seeing where this journey leads.

I am also considering potentially leaving the tripod setup where it currently is, but building a free-standing "micro-building" around it with a hinged or split-hinged roof. I figure it would be somewhere around 4' square and about 5' tall with a peaked roof. The roof could either hinge off to one side, or, more functionally, split at the ridge and fold down both sides. Unfortunately, I'm not sure my current location would be well suited to a pier due to where on the property I would have to install one. I would end up losing about 10* altitude (from 30* up to almost 40* in most places) due to a drop in height from the current location to where I would be able to install a pier. 

I'm open to thoughts on the matter, especially if you have an interesting (but functional!) design idea.