The Abandoned Astrodome And Its Future

[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.

[YakuzaIce]

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

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sharks???

Maybe...

Are there many sharks around Japan?

Maybe pollution, but it looks pretty clean.

[citykid09]

Mabe its safer for the kids, or mabe that beach doesn't get alot of waves, and They built it for that.

[tigereye]

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.

Well the second one is in Japan.

[tigereye]

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

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm guessing you have never been to Japan?

It can get very cold there. Thus some of the waters on the real beach there can get quite chilly. The Waters of the Ocean Dome however are actually heated waters. And naturaly retractable roof lets the locals bath year round.

In the winter time, with the heated waters, you can think of the Ocean Dome as being the world's largest hot tub.

That not the only attraction either.....in addition to some pretty cool rapid rides, it has a fire breathing volcano that goes bizark every half hour. This volcano creates a tsunami...well, the wave pool does its thing.

[LTAWACS]

I'm guessing you have never been to Japan?

It can get very cold there. Thus some of the waters on the real beach there can get quite chilly. The Waters of the Ocean Dome however are actually heated waters. And naturaly retractable roof lets the locals bath year round.

In the winter time, with the heated waters, you can think of the Ocean Dome as being the world's largest hot tub.

That not the only attraction either.....in addition to some pretty cool rapid rides, it has a fire breathing volcano that goes bizark every half hour. This volcano creates a tsunami...well, the wave pool does its thing.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't forget the cute azn gals.

[VicMan]

The Soccer team should keep the Astrodome used.

In the meantime, Houston ISD should use the 'Dome more often. It should be the home stadium of the following high schools:

* Bellaire

* Lamar

* Yates

If there is no nearby stadium that serves Westside, Lee, and maybe Sharpstown, the Astrodome can be a good home stadium too.

If a better stadium is ever built to serve those schools or if the Astrodome gets plans that would convert it into a theme park, then HISD can stop using it.

[skwatra]

isn't it a bit too expensive to maintain and operate the dome for high school use?

[YakuzaIce]

isn't it a bit too expensive to maintain and operate the dome for high school use?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Most likely, I know they use it for some of the playoff games. But I think it would be too costly to be only for high school. I think HISD could use it along side another group though.

[DJ V Lawrence]

Most likely, I know they use it for some of the playoff games.  But I think it would be too costly to be only for high school.  I think HISD could use it along side another group though.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

HISD and MLS teaming up for da Dome sounds reasonable

[jb4647]

Below are a few slides that my Dad took of the construction of the Astrodome:

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/5035/6104124jm.th.jpg

http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/3115/6104134zj.th.jpg

http://img331.imageshack.us/img331/1955/6210097mt.th.jpg

http://img209.imageshack.us/img209/1613/6310012ur.th.jpg

http://img283.imageshack.us/img283/2447/6310028wj.th.jpg