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Like the swallows returning to Capistrano or Congress threatening to close down the executive, it’s turn into an annual match: a gaggle comes ahead with a plan to renovate the forlorn Houston Astrodome and switch it right into a … one thing.
Ever since the Astrodome closed its doorways in 2008, and was once formally condemned a 12 months later, teams have floated concepts to convert the one-time Eighth Wonder of the World right into a on line casino, museum, lodge resort, film studio, ski leaping facility, amusement park, indoor golfing, waterpark, archery vary and 1,000,000 different issues.
Some of the concepts had been real looking. Some had been cockamamie. One staff took floating an concept actually and stated why no longer flood the Astrodome ground and recreate historical past naval battles?
The latest Dome’s-day situation
The latest plan making the media rounds is gifted by way of an LLC known as Astrodome reIMAGINEd. The concept, as we reported, is to use non-public price range to create an leisure advanced with eating places, retail outlets or even different-sized soccer fields on the ground.
The proposal has Houston catching Astrodome fever once more. What to do with Houston’s most renowned landmark? It’s an emotional factor that will get folks all labored up with out a position to move.
This time round the Astrodome buzz has a brand new wrinkle. Some are brooding about publicly if the Astrodome, simply by sitting there, is combating NRG Stadium from being awarded every other Super Bowl. As although the NFL is threatening Houston, both renovate the Dome or tear it down if you wish to have every other Super Bowl.
I’ll let you know what’s going to occur to the latest plan, similar to what took place with all the different plans:
Nothing.
And I’m calling BS on NFL Super Bowl deciders making the Astrodome a subject. While the Astrodome could also be an offensive eyesore, it hasn’t stopped greater than 1,000 occasions from reserving NRG Stadium, together with:
Three Final Fours (2011, 2016, 2023), WrestleMania 25, the Rolling Stones, Taylor Swift, Beyonce, One Direction, U2, Coldplay, MLS All-Star Game, two global Jehovah’s Witnesses conventions, Texas Bowl, plus subsequent 12 months’s College Football Playoff National Championship Game, and FIFA World Cup in 2026.
Oh, and two Super Bowls (2004, 2017). So a lot for the NFL hating on the Astrodome in the previous.
Numerous problems below one Dome
The Astrodome recently sits empty, a shell of its former shimmering construction. The gutted construction doesn’t have an air-con or plumbing gadget. Most of the rainbow-colored seats are long past. Its handiest population reportedly are cats and rats, and again when, a couple of adventurous younger explorers. Let’s name them trespassers.
It recently prices taxpayers someplace in the vary of $150,000 to $400,000 a 12 months to quilt the Astrodome’s utilities and insurance coverage expenses. It would price taxpayers an estimated $30 million or extra to bulldoze it.
The Astrodome is owned by way of Harris County and is operated by way of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation. Harris County Commissioners Court has ultimate say what, if and when anything else is finished with the Dome.
And there’s the rub. County commissioners don’t appear to have the Astrodome on their entrance burner. In truth, the Astrodome isn’t even in the commissioners’ kitchen. The five-member courtroom seems extra fascinated about coping with flooding problems, healthcare, and legal justice reform. I agree the ones are extra urgent issues.
History on its facet…for now
Besides, it isn’t simply Commissioners Court that might have to log out on any Astrodome plan. The construction, or what’s left of it, has been designated a Texas Historical Landmark and a Texas Antiquities Landmark. The Astrodome is also indexed on the National Register of Historic Places. Try convincing the Texas Historical Commission, hi there, let’s flip the Astrodome into an amusement park. We’ll put the bumper automobiles and spinning tea cups the place George H.W. Bush accredited the Republican nomination for president.
Many of the earlier proposals to renovate the Astrodome failed as a result of sponsors had been not able to to find non-public financing. You can have heard that rates of interest are up and cash is tight. You additionally would possibly take into account that there was once an election in 2013. Voters didn’t approve a referendum that might have licensed $217 million in bonds to convert the Dome into a tradition and match advanced.
Contrary to what many consider, the vote was once no longer about maintaining vs. demolishing the Dome. It was once about spending public price range to renovate it. The Dome misplaced. So it sits.
Do one thing
Like each hard-hitting journalist, I wrote a number of columns about the bond proposal and Astrodome’s long term all the way through 2013. What cheesed me off, a guide about the Astrodome’s iffy long term was once printed later and the writer indexed me as a media member serving to lead the rate to demolish the Dome.
That wasn’t true. My place then, and now, is one thing wishes to be completed with the Astrodome. I’m just right with solving it up. I’m effective with tearing it down. What is unacceptable, then again, is leaving the Dome in its present decaying state. Something wishes to be completed.
But you know the way issues paintings round right here.
What do you suppose must occur to the Dome? Let Ken know at ken@culturemap.com or on Twitter.
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