The Abandoned Astrodome And Its Future

[gambitx]

The astrodome is starting to become old and non used i think it should be just destroyed

[97saturn]

I think being that astroworld is close. The astrodome should allow part of an attraction such as rides like those at universal studios with a houston flavor to be allowed inside, this would surely become a tourism attraction. Look at what Disney did in downtown Chicago.

[kjb434]

AstroWorld closed?

[Trophy Property]

Nope. Wait.. maybe they did. I've learned to not look to the right when passing by on I-610 Eastbound.

As for the poll: None of the above. But if I did have to choose one, I think I would pick demolation [sic]. I'm not sure what that is, but it sounds cool, whatever it is.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Funny. I likey the demolation durby a hole bunches.

[editor]

I think being that astroworld is close. The astrodome should allow part of an attraction such as rides like those at universal studios with a houston flavor to be allowed inside, this would surely become a tourism attraction. Look at what Disney did in downtown Chicago.

What did Disney do in downtown Chicago?

[jookyhc]

I posted this on an astros fan board that I'm no longer very active in, but I clipped it, and I'm gonna share it:

I'm not exactly sure what should be done with the Astrodome. I do have a few ideas, and there are a few things that I think would be cool, but won't work, and a few ideas about things that I think would be terrible an wouldn't work.

First off, no matter what, even if the county mothballs it, I think it should be power washed. Everything else in Reliant park is new and sparkling, but the centerpiece (literally, of course) looks like crap. A powerwasher will do wonders, and I bet that some company would be willing to do it for a reduced rate, in exchange for the privlege of hanging an enormous sign on the front of the dome, facing 610 for about 4 months - either during the Rodeo or during Texans season. Nothing permanent, nothing gaudy, just some good ad space in exchange for a good deal.

Secondly I think the current working plan of a large scale convention hotel complex would be kind of cool, but I don't think it would work in the next 10 years. For those who don't know this plan is to have a hotel with 200+ rooms, and a gigantic atrium - with clear glass roof panels - with a single roller coaster and a few other attractions. There is a similar complex in the Metroplex, with a Texas theme - including a replica of the Alamo - and it is expected to do quite well in the long run. Essentially, the development can best be likened to a Las Vegas style hotel resort, with no casino.

The bad idea was the last working plan which would be a space themed amusement park with a few hotel rooms thrown in. I don't see how this could ever be economically viable, and for that matter, I don't see it bringing people to the building over a protracted period of time.

The idea that I have most liked, and that I would love to see implemented still is to rennovate the building for another sports related purpose. Back when Houston had an outside shot at hosting the 2012 olympics, the idea was floated to turn the Astrodome into the world's premier exclusive track and field facility. The international authorities approved the idea of indoor competition, and the track world was enthusiastic about the idea of having a facility in the US that would bring competitions here. Apparently track events don't just take place every 4 years, they have seasons and everything. It's just that Americans don't usually pay attention because it takes place everywhere else in the world but here. This facility could be used by NCAA, for professional competition, and its successful use would give Houston regular international attention. Alas, the USOC decided to go with New York, who has a sub par plan and will ensure that the US don't get the games again until 2020 at the earliest. (the USOC has already said that it's 2012 bid city will be the same as the 2016 bid city if it's unsuccessful) Nonetheless I still think this plan could work.

Alternatively, and equally unlikely is the possibility of rennovating the building for soccer, cleaning off the roof panels to make them clear and reducing the seating to somewhere around 35,000 - lower deck only - and installing a smaller higher-end hotel - capable of hosting visiting NFL and MLS teams and staffs - and maybe some sort of sports hall of fame around the upper rings.

Of course, it all starts with a good power washing.

[UrbaNerd]

OR..with the ever growing popularity of Professional Soccer in Houston, they could use the Astrodome for the soccer games, soccer playoffs, etc etc.

[brijonmang]

...yeahh lets 'demolate' it lol...but seriously i like the hotel/amusement pitch

[97saturn]

Downtown Chicago has Disneyquest.

[citykid09]

I would like to see it as a city. Take all of the parking lots around there, develope them in to low rise buildings, have the light rail run through above ground,

And Call it "Astro Station"

something like this: http://www.atlanticstation.com/

[KimberlySayWhat]

Or they could turn it into a super Super Wal Mart.

[Houston19514]

Downtown Chicago has Disneyquest.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

DisneyQuest Chicago will be closing permanently on September 4th, 2001. Try this Disney Virtual Adventure while it lasts. (1-888-693-9265.) Located at 55 E. Ohio, on the corner of Rush and Ohio. It is one block west of Michigan and Ohio in the North Bridge area.

[Dream]

CASINO!

dream

[houstonsemipro]

How about tare down astrodome and reliant stadium, and build a mall. Let the texans play at rice stadium.

DAMN SOUND STUPID!

[MidtownCoog]

We should turn it into a drive-in theatre.

[skwatra]

how about a drive-in imax with stadium seating for cars?

[MidtownCoog]

Now we are on to something!

[The Great Hizzy!]

LOL

I'm really starting to warm up to the idea of a multi-use retail/entertainment center at ground level with an observation tower of about 300 feet or so. The base would be where the shops/venues are located and the tower would extend from the center. Tie in Astroworld and Reliant Stadium with some pretty spiffy/unique corridors and you'd have a workable entertainment complex.

What works here, as far as the observation tower is concerned, is that it would offer you a view of Houston's largest group of skylines, from Downtown to as far as Westchase.

[houstonsemipro]

I think Houston Sports Authority not using their heads on astrodome project. The answer is right there in front of them. If houston is trying to get MLS here, common sense make the astrodome has a soccer entertainment center. Have a major hotel, retail, resturants, cineplex, and a state of the art soccer field. I mean wake up Houston.

[Dream]

drive in casino.

dream

[Desertfox]

drive in casino.

dream

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Is the Astro turf surface still installed?

The Astrodome is an unused jewel for a major team sports that I bet probably nobody ever thought off. It will probably take just a minor upgrade of the field surface and field seating configuration to accomendate it (no, it's not soccer).

My guestimate it would take $1-2 Million to update the Astrodome and another $8-10 Million expansion team price tag (or moving an existing team) plus credit guarantees for at least 3 seasons of play.

[MidtownCoog]

Maybe we could spruce it up and get the Oilers to move back there.

[Desertfox]

Does someone know or can guide me to a page that lists the maximum available field dimensions of the Astrodome?

[GovernorAggie]

I agree with the idea of using it for MLS. San Antonio looks to be attracting big attention from MLS--to play in the Alamodome.

At the same time, the idea of an observation tower at the Dome and several shops, etc. could work well and add to the area being an entertainment district. Just make sure the tower is tall enough to not only see all the skylines, but maybe also see some of the ship channel or bay.

Or it could be the world's largest indoor go-kart track!

I've never been inside the Dome. Do they still give tours?

[Subdude]

Does someone know or can guide me to a page that lists the maximum available field dimensions of the Astrodome?

Try balllparks.com. Is a great source for info on old ballparks, arenas, and stadiums.

I think the Dome is a non-starter for MLS. The facility is just way too big. MLS is looking for seating capacity of about 20,000. Plus they want spankin' new facilities, just like all the other leagues. A new soccer venue will probably be a pre-condition of any MLS expansion into Houston.

[GovernorAggie]

Try balllparks.com.  Is a great source for info on old ballparks, arenas, and stadiums. 

I think the Dome is a non-starter for MLS.  The facility is just way too big.  MLS is looking for seating capacity of about 20,000.  Plus they want spankin' new facilities, just like all the other leagues.  A new soccer venue will probably be a pre-condition of any MLS expansion into Houston.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's what I thought too, which is why I mentioned San Antonio. The team that they are looking more and more likely to get will play in the Alamodome, which is about the same seating capacity as the Astrodome.

[N Judah]

They could make it into a massive train station/transit center. The soaring Astrodome ceiling would make a grand entry for people arriving in Houston by train from wherever it is that we'll have train links to in the future.

[Subdude]

That's what I thought too, which is why I mentioned San Antonio.  The team that they are looking more and more likely to get will play in the Alamodome, which is about the same seating capacity as the Astrodome.

The Alamo Dome is desinged to shrink a bit. If a team lands there they will curtain off the entire upper section of seating, leaving capacity at about 30,000.

N Judah has a good idea. Could the Dome become our multi-modal transit center?

[zathan]

I think it would be pretty neat if Astroworld had a monorail running from the park to the inside of the astrodome. Then have an indoor theme park to run and hide to when the weather is extremely bad, or too hot. It could be like a super space mountain or something!

[arche_757]

A multi-model transit center amidst a parking lot, crapy apartments, and dare I say it ASTROWORLD, wuh hooo!!!

A good building for a multi-model station, but bad location. Even though they plan on building a urban center at the end of the red line... which I think is a bad idea, since those people who would live there would more than likely want to live in either Mid-town or downtown. Come on people fill in the donut!

But in Houston, we build new things instead of use what we already have...

which basically negates my notion on the STRO-DOME, but I think it would make a great- Football stadium.

Opps, we just built a new one, hmm... strange how you never hear about, Minute Maid Park, PNC Park, or Saefco Field like you hear about Yankee Stadium, Fenway, Wrigly and Soldier Field (before it was rapped). Guess if you never stay in a place long enough there isnt ever a history.

[arche_757]

When I say good building - I meant grand....

Im not sure the structure could be changed enough to accomodate the trains and other vehicles needed to actually quailify as Multi-model.

Downtown would be the most logical choice as most comming into Houston would be comming from the north and west, not south (unless you count Shrimpers )

Hardy rail yards would be a good place for it. And would help generate growth in an area much closer to the city core, and bring money and people into a place built for it, not a "new town"/"new town center"...whatever

[N Judah]

A multi-model transit center amidst a parking lot, crapy apartments, and dare I say it ASTROWORLD, wuh hooo!!!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The neighborhood will change, trust me. It won't be like that forever, especially if some kind of transit center is put in. Not like the neighborhood really matters -- I don't mean transit center in the sense of encouraging development like light rail -- I mean transit center as in a centralized location where people can quickly and easily transfer trains, or get on a bus, or easily transfer to a train to the airport. I'm talking commuters, not sunday shoppers.

You also seem to have overlooked the fact that reliant stadium is there, amidst a "parking lot and crapy apartments." I can easily imagine people from Dallas and San Antonio taking some kind of commuter rail into Houston to watch an international soccer match. Or the Final Four, or whatever. But that won't be the primary purpose of the transit center.

[N Judah]

When I say good building - I meant grand....

Im not sure the structure could be changed enough to accomodate the trains and other vehicles needed to actually quailify as Multi-model.

Downtown would be the most logical choice as most comming into Houston would be comming from the north and west, not south (unless you count Shrimpers )

Hardy rail yards would be a good place for it.  And would help generate growth in an area much closer to the city core, and bring money and people into a place built for it, not a "new town"/"new town center"...whatever

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The way I see it, the point of a big transit center wouldn't be to generate growth near the city core any more than an airport would. It would just serve to make it really easy for people to catch their train or bus. I don't think downtown would be a good place at all, considering it's so crowded.

As for changing the structure, they could shell the thing, which would keep the basic framework (and thus, the history), keeping it recognizable as a landmark, but change everything else, and add on to the outside also.

[arche_757]

By changing the "structure" I meant - THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS ect... the things that make the building stand up! The facades of many buildings have little to do with the way the building stands. Have you ever seen a Heavy rail Train Station - in Europe, NYC, Washington DC, other east coast cities? They require massive amounts of space that would make it hard for the astrodome to be re-utilized in this manner.

Downtown is a far better choice - but your intitiled to your opinion as I am intitiled to mine.

Best use of the Dome - sell it to the Texas Medical Center - call it the BioDome or whatever. If there is one intity in Houston that can expand on a property like that its TMC - theyd have to build parking garages but thats better than a surface lot.

[N Judah]

By changing the "structure" I meant - THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORTS ect... the things that make the building stand up!  The facades of many buildings have little to do with the way the building stands. 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I know what you meant by "structure." I was operating on the assumption that the roof of the dome was held up by those white pillars around the outside. There's nothing holding it up on the inside, so everything except those pillars and the roof could be taken out. Extra buildings could be added on as needed. Of course, I'm not an engineer and neither are you, so who really knows if we're "intitiled" to our opinions.

[arche_757]

know what you meant by "structure." I was operating on the assumption that the roof of the dome was held up by those white pillars around the outside. There's nothing holding it up on the inside, so everything except those pillars and the roof could be taken out. Extra buildings could be added on as needed. Of course, I'm not an engineer and neither are you, so who really knows if we're "intitiled" to our opinions.

I sense hostility? None was intended from me, so just calm down.

NO Im not an engineer - and would have to get detailed structural drawings to even assume that something like this is possible, The inside is still probably not large enough for a heavy rail (AMTRAK) train with all the cars. Reality is that the dome will more than likely be torn down than used for anything worthwhile - which is a shame, and even if it meant not having a Transit Center in Downtown they should put one hear before they raize it.

[debmartin]

"N Judah has a good idea. Could the Dome become our multi-modal transit center?" (quote, subdude)

it's too bad if the structure would be inadequate for a transit center, because the location would be ideal. with the light rail connection, amtrak could relocate from the portable building they use as a station, and the greyhound station could be there. commuter rail is always being talked about, and since galveston has announced their new transit center houston should be able to re-establish commuter rail to galveston. if amtrak would get interested in galveston, houston could be the go-between and a hotel might even work for the lay-overs if located within the transit center. the cruise industry is big, and we should be able to make an opportunity there.

i guess the problem would be what to do with all the space, and since casino's are not likely anytime soon there would have to be some creative way to fill the space. maybe some kind of museum for sports or historic houston, retail, eateries and other entertainment venues. there's got to be a way to incorporate the history of the "eighth wonder of the world" as a theme. in toronto the air canada center is adjacent to the transit center, so besides the regular daily commuters and tourists there are people streaming in from all over for concerts and events.

the powers that be should get creative and be willing to explore ideas that will utilize the space in a way that puts houston back on the map for unique, interesting places. i used to go to the summit all the time for concerts and hockey games, and if anyone had told me it would be turned into a church i would have called them crazy, yet there it is.

deb martin

[Gary]

I would like to see it as a city. Take all of the parking lots around there, develope them in to low rise buildings, have the light rail run through above ground,

And Call it "Astro Station"

something like this: http://www.atlanticstation.com/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My gosh, another ATL plug?

[KennethColeSRG]

You know I was just thinking as I was reading this thread that the Dome could be transformed like the Atlantic Steel site in Atlanta, and then I come to the last post and see that someone else was thinking the same thing.

The transformation of that site into Atlantic Station is HUGE and the kind of innovative thinking and action that Houston needs to recapture. The whole thing with trying to come up with uses for the Dome that pisses me off is the way our leaders are not daring to thing BIG and BOLD, much like the leaders of the past did when they came up with the idea to build the Dome in the first place.

[citykid09]

I just saw this, and I remembered seeing it on tv along time ago this is what the Astro dome should be turned into, Around version.

[RedScare]

Indoor ski slope. Lower the field another 50 feet and you have a 258 foot vertical drop.

[citykid09]

That sounds even better, and paint the roof to make it look like you're up in the mountains.

[DJ V Lawrence]

I just saw this, and I remembered seeing it on tv along time ago this is what the Astro dome should be turned into, Around version.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Okay, THAT'S hot!! Get on it, Harris County!

Yo, one more time: Luxury Hotel, MLS Stadium, AND Recreatonal Area for shopping ALL in one. My suggestion. Not sure how it would NOT be profitable...

[DJ V Lawrence]

Yo CityKid, yo' pics: what's the name of that place, and where is it? (is that the Atlantic Station place we mentioned earlier?)

[citykid09]

I just thought of another idea, Turn the area around the dome into a new urban area, and turn the dome into Houston's Grand Central Station, with trains running all under it, and the dome will have shops and other neat stuff. (make it dfferent and fun)

[DJ V Lawrence]

I just thought of another idea, Turn the area around the dome into a new urban area, and turn the dome into Houston's Grand Central Station, with trains running all under it, and the dome will have shops and other neat stuff. (make it dfferent and fun)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Whoa, whoa, whoadie What's the name and location of the pics U put up, yo? REVEAL YOURSELF!!!!

Oh, and the Grand Central Station's a very interesting concept :-)

[citykid09]

I don't know, it's somewhere in Asia. I found the picture on ssc and they had Houston vs what ever city that is in, and thats how I found the pictures.

[texasboy]

i don't think any of this would happen. just doesn't fit the dome realistically. but we can still dream. but anyways, concerniong that waterpark posted, isn't that the concept for Schlitterbahn (damn i can't believe i spelled that) in Galveston?

[YakuzaIce]

I don't know, it's somewhere in Asia. I found the picture on ssc and they had Houston vs what ever city that is in, and thats how I found the pictures.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Well the second one is in Japan. I do not know which city though.

[citykid09]

I wonder why they need that if there is a beach right there at the top of the picture.