The Abandoned Astrodome And Its Future

[KinkaidAlum]

Sad, sad, sad. 

 

I knew it was doomed when the number of people on an architectural forum that didn't seem to care outnumbered those who did. 

 

I also knew it was doomed because the HLSR crowd wanted it gone. Those good ole boys get what they want. 

 

 

[arche_757]

MMP and Reliant came across as unquestionable upgrades in my mind.

 

Minute Maid Park is a grand place to watch a ball game... and will age well I believe (it is almost 15).

 

Reliant, while larger and more modern at the time already seems dated and old to me.  I think it will continue to age poorly and will be outdated in a decade or so.  I mean what else can be done to "update" it?  Those adverti....er... "Video" boards aren't really anything impressive.

 

If this board is still around we'll be debating not what to do with Reliant but how much a new stadium should cost and how many seats it needs.  Reliant will meet the wrecking ball with far less fanfair than the Dome.

 

***And guess where the new stadium will go?  That's right.  Where the current Astrodome is.  I'll bet there is a long...long range plan that has this figured out somewhere in the filing system of the Harris County Sports Authority (which ought to be shut down since there is no other reason for it to exist any longer).***

Edited November 6, 2013 by arche_757

[Nate99]

Minute Maid Park is a grand place to watch a ball game... and will age well I believe (it is almost 15).

 

Reliant, while larger and more modern at the time already seems dated and old to me.  I think it will continue to age poorly and will be outdated in a decade or so.  I mean what else can be done to "update" it?  Those adverti....er... "Video" boards aren't really anything impressive.

 

If this board is still around we'll be debating not what to do with Reliant but how much a new stadium should cost and how many seats it needs.  Reliant will meet the wrecking ball with far less fanfair than the Dome.

 

***And guess where the new stadium will go?  That's right.  Where the current Astrodome is.  I'll bet there is a long...long range plan that has this figured out somewhere in the filing system of the Harris County Sports Authority (which ought to be shut down since there is no other reason for it to exist any longer).***

 

We could have perpetual motion machine of building and destroying stadiums.  

 

By all accounts, Reliant is considered a good football venue. Getting the SB back makes me think that he NFL owners like it, though they may certainly have their own rather narrow motivations.

[arche_757]

^Most likely we will.

 

I think the Houston Super Bowl was quite sucessful and a reasonable money maker for the NFL, the additions of the new Marriot Marquis de Sade is huge.  With the space downtown dedicated to the NFL and NFL Experience along with media it makes things very easy for them.  Besides Houston has money connections with probably just about all of the owners.

 

MMP though I don't see changing for many years.  I think we'd get an extensive modernization and renovation before the need arrose to replace that structure.

[Slick Vik]

Sad. And the same people voted against stopping general mobility payments last year too. I see a future of gridlock traffic taking you from one strip mall to the next, with big parking lots of course.

Edited November 6, 2013 by Slick Vik

[Slick Vik]

"I think the dome has served its purpose, but I'll say this: I'm not going to support tearing it down and then covering the hole with $20 million in dirt and a parking lot," county commissioner Steve Radak said. "If that's all, it can just stand there."

[sevfiv]

Gawd. A county stadium can't get county support for anything. Business can't make the $ numbers work to their liking. Folks call for "preservationists" (anyone that likes the idea of saving it?) to foot the bill. 

 

I understand it's a monumental (yeah yeah) cause - the physical size and the disrepair it has been allowed to fall in to - it's just sad that there hasn't been a good combination of brains and dollars to do something yet.

 

I think it would be neat as a part museum/gallery/tourism (tours) facility. Sports exhibits (think the old Fingers) and so on. And then there's the last ditch Summit idea - Astromegachurch (lol)

[Subdude]

People have floated all kinds of ideas, but ultimately it is a county-owned property and the county will not support any usage that does not align with their priorities, viz. conventions, the rodeo, sports and parking. 

[Subdude]

That was different.  The Shamrock was a mistake, and the Prudential (while a nice old building) lacked the floor to floor heights that the TMC desires.  The Astrodome has little in the way of turning it into a large scale research facility (think Apples Cuppertino Campus design) yet covered.  It is still possible to do that.  I think the TMC doesn't want to pay the money needed to buy the dome first - or perhaps they just don't want it?

 

It would be a monumental undertaking, but with the right incentives and help from the city/county it is very much possible.

 

I mean - I'm still waiting for the Texas Biomedical Center proposed many, many years ago by TMC and others that was supposed to pop-up just south of the TMC.  Still hasn't happened.  Houston is losing that race with Boston, Seattle, Chicago, San Diego and probably DC.  Oh well.  I guess we sort of kind of tried to maybe do something?  Sorta.

 

I think the Medical Center has absolutely no interest, since they already have an existing development plan.  

[arche_757]

^Unfortunately.  They'll spend the same amount of money on new buildings elsewhere...

 

I think the biggest problem with the Dome is the location - right in the middle of the Reliant Park complex.  If it had better street access and/or the Reliant Park users (aka Rodeo Houston) weren't such er..jerks... then the Dome may have had a chance.  Oh well.

[Houston19514]

People have floated all kinds of ideas, but ultimately it is a county-owned property and the county will not support any usage that does not align with their priorities, viz. conventions, the rodeo, sports and parking. 

 

Yes, people have floated all kinds of ideas.  Unfortunately, none of those ideas had any money floated with them.

Edited November 7, 2013 by Houston19514

[Muralpainter]

The only practical and affordable usage would be to demo the sidewalls and leave just enough structure to support the dome.

 

Will make a huge shaded pavilion for hosting outdoor events, and require no HVAC for minimal conversion costs.

 

And the “dome” still exists for historical preservation.

[HerculesQEinstein]

"I think the dome has served its purpose, but I'll say this: I'm not going to support tearing it down and then covering the hole with $20 million in dirt and a parking lot," county commissioner Steve Radak said. "If that's all, it can just stand there."

Someone needs to tell Clueless Steve Radak that right now, the Astrodome is nothing more than the world's largest kitty litter box.

[IronTiger]

Here's an idea: turn it into an indoor amusement park! We could call it AstroW--wait a minute. We blew that one, didn't we.

Edited November 9, 2013 by IronTiger

[lockmat]

Hbj has an article that says it could become part of the National Historic Registry in January which could open it to federal funding.

Edited November 9, 2013 by lockmat

[samagon]

Hbj has an article that says it could become part of the National Historic Registry in January which could open it to federal funding.

I am all for this.

[sevfiv]

More from chron.com: 

 

 

The city of Houston's historical commission has voted unanimously to consider an effort that could give landmark status to the endangered Astrodome.

Maverick Welsh, chairman of the Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission, put forward the motion at the agency's monthly meeting last week.

"I think it was the right thing to do," Welsh said. "We have to focus on saving this building."

The move, however, was principally symbolic. Such a designation would only put a 90-day hold on any demolition.

 

 

 

http://www.chron.com/business/real-estate/article/Astrodome-to-be-considered-for-historic-landmark-4975036.php

[Subdude]

"Considering an effort" sounds  sufficiently vague to not mean much of anything.  It's hard to see how this would change the outcome, especially if the County isn't committed to some form of preservation.

 

 

[sevfiv]

ABC13 folks got a tour of the Celestial Suite in the Crowne Plaza, former Astroworld Hotel (future uncertain):

 

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=9323116

[lockmat]

Astrodome Tomorrow partially submitted their idea on Facebook today:

The ASTRODOME*TOMORROW vision is for a suite of high-touch, high-fun museums including a world class innovation and technology museum with a fully integrated STEM institute, a Museum of the Future © (huh, what's that? ...Details to come!), a sports museum (like, duh), an Astrodome museum, a Rodeo/cowboy museum, an energy museum and hall of fame, a fashion museum and more. All these museums will have a robust education component as well as a lot of gee whiz fun, so the lines of school buses are definitely in the plan.

I do think that whatever goes in the Dome MUST be an attraction not only for locals but also for global tourism, in order to create the critical mass of attendance and revenue necessary to support renovation and operating cost.

Edited November 13, 2013 by lockmat

[H-Town Man]

Astrodome Tomorrow partially submitted their idea on Facebook today:The ASTRODOME*TOMORROW vision is for a suite of high-touch, high-fun museums including a world class innovation and technology museum with a fully integrated STEM institute, a Museum of the Future © (huh, what's that? ...Details to come!), a sports museum (like, duh), an Astrodome museum, a Rodeo/cowboy museum, an energy museum and hall of fame, a fashion museum and more. All these museums will have a robust education component as well as a lot of gee whiz fun, so the lines of school buses are definitely in the plan.I do think that whatever goes in the Dome MUST be an attraction not only for locals but also for global tourism, in order to create the critical mass of attendance and revenue necessary to support renovation and operating cost.

I support this idea, but one great museum is better than many so-so ones. Technology/air & space museum seems like the ideal choice, since the dome is itself a technological landmark inspired by space, but please don't call it STEM! The word math does not attract people! If the National Air and Space Museum renamed itself the National Air Space and Math Museum I guarantee attendance would drop by half within a year.

[ToryGattis]

I support this idea, but one great museum is better than many so-so ones. Technology/air & space museum seems like the ideal choice, since the dome is itself a technological landmark inspired by space, but please don't call it STEM! The word math does not attract people! If the National Air and Space Museum renamed itself the National Air Space and Math Museum I guarantee attendance would drop by half within a year.

 

The name we've talked about is "National Museum of Technology and Innovation" - and it would have more of an engineering focus than pure science.

[ToryGattis]

Just had a thought: how amazingly valuable to Houston's reputation would it be to have Astrodome renovated as the National Museum of Technology and Innovation, and then every time there's a Texans home game next door the national media and the aerial blimp shots are talking about it and even doing interior shots of exhibits for their cutaway footage? (you know, the short local background videos when they return from commercials)  Our national and global identity would get tied to technology and innovation (in addition to the existing identity around energy), and that would help draw talent and jobs.

[H-Town Man]

The name we've talked about is "National Museum of Technology and Innovation" - and it would have more of an engineering focus than pure science.

 

Okay, but I wouldn't even mention STEM. Just has too much of a "take your medicine" kind of feel.

[samagon]

I support this idea, but one great museum is better than many so-so ones. Technology/air & space museum seems like the ideal choice, since the dome is itself a technological landmark inspired by space, but please don't call it STEM! The word math does not attract people! If the National Air and Space Museum renamed itself the National Air Space and Math Museum I guarantee attendance would drop by half within a year.

The name we've talked about is "National Museum of Technology and Innovation" - and it would have more of an engineering focus than pure science.

Maybe it could be the museum of stuff no one wants to pay for, but no one wants to throw away. The kicker would be that the museum venue would be a part of the exhibit.

Oh and yeah, call it science technology engineering and mathematics, but people who read to fast and are religious end up thinking stem cell research is what it's about.

Edited November 15, 2013 by samagon

[Subdude]

The difficulty isn't thinking up new uses for the Astrodome; museums and whatnot.  The challenge is finding uses that would a) generate enough cash flow to support conversion and maintenance of a giant old stadium, and agree with the County's preference for County-controlled parking, sports, rodeo and convention facilities.   If one were to do a Venn diagram it would look something like: oo.  Two smallish, non-intersecting sets. 

[bachanon]

http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/Astrodome-The-sequel-5000027.php

 

A plan to designate the Astrodome as a National Historic Landmark to be approved on December 12th and sent to city council.  The National Trust for Historic Preservation has opened up an office here and their first project is saving the Dome. 

 

http://thegrillogazette.blogspot.com/2011/03/architecture-of-welton-becket.html

 

check out welton becket and associates' other designs.

[Triton]

Didn't expect to hear that boom from so far away.

[samagon]

Found a YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zu2XiseypWU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Turn your sound down if you're averse to the f bomb.

[Fringe]

For those that missed the first go around: Astrodome seats are back on sale this morning. This time you just purchase a ticket ($200 per pair) and then go pick up the seats on Dec. 17. Much less hassle.

http://www.reliantpark.com/events/astrodome-seat-sale