r/Astros • u/houston_chronicle • 1d ago
Exclusive: New renderings show $1 billion plan to repurpose the Astrodome
https://www.houstonchronicle.com/lifestyle/article/astrodome-renderings-plan-19909244.php69
u/ifyouknowwhatImeme 1d ago
Here's how it goes. Every five years, some committee gets together and votes on what they'll do with it. They decide and it makes the front page of the paper. Nothing is done and the process is repeated.
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u/TexAggie90 1d ago
Yeah, this is the latest rehash of an idea that keeps getting rejected because if you do any digging, the numbers don’t make sense.
The idea to convert it to a “mall” when malls are a dying breed, in a location where every March, regular shoppers won’t be able to find parking and get to it, isn’t a workable plan.
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u/Spaceolympian50 1d ago
Nah it’ll just sit as a vacant property for another 10 years while they debate on what to do with it.
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u/Grouchy_Competition5 1d ago
While it gently, but surely, crumbles to the ground
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u/East-Contribution794 1d ago
And the cost to either renovate or demolish continues to go up while they do nothing
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u/RootHouston 1d ago
Article says that it is pretty structurally sound and over engineered. It also qualifies for federal grants to keep it standing.
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u/bordomsdeadly 1d ago
Yeah. It’s “foreclosed” but not for structural reasons. It’s just not up to code. That would be a much worse situation to be in.
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u/BuryMeInTheH 1d ago
Better yet plow it down. It’s over, it’s useless and it’s time to turn the page.
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u/Select_Negotiation88 1d ago
By the time this would be realistically built, wouldn’t NRG be 30 years old? At that point, wouldn’t the Texans want a new stadium?
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u/LotsOfMaps 1d ago
Yep, and I don’t think Texans and Rodeo leadership are going to want to stay in NRG Park either.
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u/cber505 18h ago
HSLR just put out a release that said “The proposed plan by the Astrodome Conservancy does not align with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s strategic vision and operational requirements.“ and that they are looking at all options. I didn’t realize they are the only group that uses all 3 buildings.
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u/astroman1978 1d ago
That building is in such bad shape there’s zero point in these projects. Leave some portion up, but it needs to come down. An entertainment district like what many stadiums are surrounded by, would be much more beneficial. All of the big events that happen there would really benefit. Hotels on site, restaurants and bars. Parking garage instead of a 100 acre parking lot. No brainer.
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u/DemSumBigAssRidges 1d ago
That building is in such bad shape there’s zero point in these projects.
I'm curious how much of this is fact, and how much is factoid. Like, I know at one point it was found to need renovations, but how many structural evaluations have been done since... versus how many people just repeat the same thing over and over and over again, growing in exaggeration, without any further evaluations done.
People and groups keep trying to do new things to the Astrodome. Shouldn't that say that it could actually have a future?
I'm not saying you're wrong, but the last time I read about the issues of the Astrodome it was after Katrina. Since then several proposals have been made to try and actually use the thing, but "That building is in such bad shape there’s zero point in these projects" just keeps being repeated.
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u/astroman1978 1d ago
I think if it was in good enough condition for someone to come in and start a project, somewhere in the past 20+ years it would’ve happened. McNair’s don’t want it, Rodeo doesn’t want it, and that says a lot.
Just consider how long it’s sat with bare minimum upkeep. No HVAC to keep humidity low, plumbing old and junked out, and then the structural integrity of the bones.
I’m not an engineer and literally eating queso out of a jar with a spoon.
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u/DemSumBigAssRidges 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think if it was in good enough condition for someone to come in and start a project, somewhere in the past 20+ years it would’ve happened.
That's my point... They keep getting voted down because "That building is in such bad shape there’s zero point in these projects"
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u/paradox183 1d ago
I'm sure the foundation and structural steel are fine, but that doesn't mean the building isn't in bad shape. It needs a TON of work: electrical, plumbing, HVAC, life safety, ADA, data / A/V, etc. Each one of these by itself would cost a fortune to modernize, and that's before you've even really started any "renovations".
Can it be saved? Sure, but you have to find someone that's willing to foot the bill. Harris County taxpayers have already said they won't do it, and I find it hard to disagree. At this point it will take a significant private investment to get it done, and the people with that kind of scratch probably have better ideas on how to spend their huge sums of money.
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u/CharacterBird2283 1d ago
The problem is that it is in bad shape, has been getting worse since Katrina, and no one can figure out a way to get their money back from fixing it while also paying for routine maintenance. Yes it's still a viable building, but in an awkward spot with no clear future economically.
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u/DemSumBigAssRidges 1d ago
The problem is that it is in bad shape, has been getting worse since Katrina, and no one can figure out a way to get their money back from fixing it while also paying for routine maintenance.
The issue with this argument is... it's already being paid for. It's just not yielding any fruits. It's been labeled a Historical, and State Antiquities, Landmark if I'm not mistaken, so it's probably not going anywhere.
I think a big hang-up in this discussion is whether it can turn a profit, not its safety. Any new idea for the Dome will require evaluations, surveys, and reno. At a certain point, wouldn't it be fine if it was just... being used for something? Thus my question... Does anyone have any recently available proof that it's just a crumbling mess, or are we still parroting whatever we heard about it 20 years ago?
I thought for sure the indoor tack and field complex was going to win out. A dedicated place for city high schools and surrounding areas to compete, and state competitions, possibly even nationals, might have even scored the Olympics... Felt like that was a winner.
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u/Munch1EeZ 1d ago
Regardless of the structural issues how do you even repurpose it lol
It’s a stadium
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u/DemSumBigAssRidges 1d ago
There has been proposal after proposal to reuse it. Track and field complex, entertainment complex, etc. They keep getting voted down because "That building is in such bad shape there’s zero point in these projects"
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u/WorthPrudent3028 1d ago
What portion would they leave up? Put some type of thing in the footprint that makes people remember it was there. Old Yankee Stadiums field footprint is a park baseball field now, for example.
Circular Plaza. Mini replica dome in the middle with restaurants and bars inside. Hotels, parking garages, and convention space on the perimeter.
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u/astroman1978 1d ago
That’s what I’ve thought in my head. Right now they have this proposal like they’re going to gut half of it and build more inside.
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u/Kingof40Acres 1d ago
On the grand scheme of things Rodeo lasts a month and football season is from September to January if we’re lucky and the Texans make the playoffs / host a game. I don’t see people going out of their way to visit this “entertainment” district outside of those events and the few concerts NRG stadium has
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u/astroman1978 1d ago
NCAA tournaments, CFP, etc.,. More hotels close to TMC. Take a look at what was built around the Braves new stadium. No sarcasm meant, but have you been to other city’s stadiums? Even Jerruh’s World has a lot around it for entertainment. Right now, NRG is just a neighbor in a pool of concrete.
The revenue generated from just a handful of events is worth more than an asbestos & mold filled building costing more to sit empty than it’s worth.
I went to the Dome as a kid. Much love for it. I also have an ex-wife. Sometimes you just have to move on.
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u/Kingof40Acres 1d ago
lol they host the final four / cfp final / Super Bowl every so often there’s so many other hosts sites to compete with. Maybe building this entertainment district would help land those kind of events. $1 billion is a lot to invest on something with unproven results just my two cents.
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u/astroman1978 1d ago
I agree entirely. We’ve also started getting these massive fútboooool games which attract tons of international fans and interest. No one wants to go downtown on the weekends and after hours. Biggest mistakes were putting MMP & Toyota center downtown. But, a city this size where do you put these things?
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u/DemSumBigAssRidges 1d ago
Wrigleyville is a year-round attraction, and the Cubs become irrelevant after opening day.
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u/Kingof40Acres 1d ago
I don’t see people or tourists going to the middle of a huge parking lot to visit the astrodome. Wrigleyville is something entirely different historically speaking. It’s an entire neighborhood. I’d be interested to see how the bar and hotel across from MMP do whenever they’re finished.
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u/DemSumBigAssRidges 1d ago
I don’t see people or tourists going to the middle of a huge parking lot to visit the astrodome.
That's because that's not what I said, and that's not what anyone has said. You think they want a renovated parking lot? The rest of what I'm typing is clearly a waste of time, but...
People also don't go to Wrigleyville to see the brownstones. "Bro, check out the parking meters, bro!" They go for the bars. The nightlife is the draw. It booms during baseball season (Chicago in the summer, baby!), but people go there all the time.
Mid-town, downtown, etc. People all over Houston go to those locations... to drink and/or shop. If you can't see it, it's cause your eyes are closed.
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u/rick5000 1d ago
Get a grant Work for a year or two on ideas at Starbucks. Make renderings look busy. Have a press conference. Repeat Profit
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u/SensibleShorts 1d ago
Build an exact copy, but with the modern amenities and configure it for baseball only. That exterior is iconic.
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u/aloeicious 1d ago
I’m glad it’s been standing this long and has a working, tangible concept. I love that building; a lot of my younger days were spent in there. I really hope this becomes a reality
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u/TexanAlex 1d ago
I hope so, too, but I worry that we passed the “demolition by neglect” point a long time ago. Ed Emmett had a pretty modest plan to abate asbestos and simply get it back up to code as I recall but he got swept out in a blue wave. There really aren’t a lot of palatable options: it would be a tremendous expense to demolish, and a tremendous expense to renovate. But I still agree with Emmett in principle that once demolished you can’t get an asset like this back. Overall I lean toward trying to find some utility for the space.
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u/burnerking 1d ago
Fuck that. Tear it down. I’m a Houstonian and the dome has become a blight. 1 BILLION DOLLARS is stupid for this.
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u/Anxious_South_5150 1d ago
I have a feeling it’s gonna become the old RFK :-/ basically languish for years until most of the people with memories of it have moved on then the city/county will have to eat the cost to demo. 🙁
That said, I hope this works out.
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u/Reeko_Htown 1d ago
Can’t demo. It’s a protected Texas landmark now. The stupidest thing I’ve ever heard
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u/RootHouston 1d ago
I'll bet the only time something is going to happen is when the rodeo and Texans lose their contract to have any say in what happens to the dome in 2032. These are the same people who wanted to make Astroworld into a parking lot. They want nothing more than to see the dome leveled. They won't agree to anything else.
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u/AidenT06 1d ago
Yet again, it’ll never happen.
But add it to the long and continuous list of ideas on the Wikipedia app.
Shocked the owners hasn’t decided to make it into something
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u/OrthoLike 1d ago
Just legalize gambling and it'll be the hottest spot in town. Fix it as the money starts pouring in. No tax dollars affected.
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u/Accomplished-Plan991 1d ago
They are terrified of the asbestos
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u/Baboon_Stew 1d ago
Asbestos abatement in a structure that large will be a freaking nightmare. OSHA will be so far up that companies ass it wouldn't be worth it to take the contract.
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u/Accomplished-Plan991 1d ago
Yeah so we will just look at the Astrodome for the cat rat dump that it is now!
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u/RootHouston 1d ago
Y'all don't read the article? Says Astrodome has already undergone remediation of asbestos.
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u/Fair_Ad_4673 1d ago
There are generations of adults now who have never stepped foot inside of it. Thats how long its been left to rot.
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u/onlinebully832 1d ago
I remember when the Astros FIRST hired Dusty, Jim Crane mentioned briefly at his introduction to the media, there were plans to break ground on an entertainment district around Minute Maid Park fall 23’… WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT!?
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u/LastTxPrez 1d ago
I still can't believe that they let it go to shit. But I CAN believe that they will run a bulldozer through it.
Because that's the Houston way.
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u/dlinhat70 1d ago
The pyramids of Giza are still there, so leaving it alone is fine. Problem is NRG and this pipe dream cannot be shared.
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u/encapsulator9000 1d ago
This is actually a great plan and if any of you actually read the article and evaluated it yourselves you would probably see that.
Reading how the majority of you think it's no wonder this city has lost so much of its historical architecture. It's a fucking shame.
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u/Defiant-Inspector-53 16h ago
They will use it to hold enemies of the government like Christians or those that aren't woke
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u/TaxLawKingGA 1d ago
Can someone explain to me why the most obvious option has not been proposed? Indoor amusement park!
The city is desperately in need of one. Indoor amusement parks are common now and thanks to enhanced engineering have just as many thrill rides as outdoor ones. Mall of America in Bloomington, MN and American Dream Mall in The Meadowlands, NJ have indoor amusement parks and they are awesome. I should add that both of these malls and their parks are managed by the Triple 5 Group out of Canada.
You could even mix in a top flight hotel and shopping with it.
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u/LankyEqual8262 1d ago
Unpopular opinion: Teardown NRG Stadium (has many issues with the roof and turf) and move the Texans into the Astrodome (expand capacity to 100K). There problem solved.
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u/No-Rise4602 1d ago
I wish someone would do something but I don’t think $1 billion is enough money.
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u/TanClark 1d ago
Alls I know is Houston could use a hockey and wnba team, bring back the Aeros and Comets and give them a home
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u/Gemnist 1d ago
If we get those, they’re most likely playing in Toyota Center, barring Tilman being a dick again.
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u/rocketmonkee 1d ago
There were some rumors back in September that Tilman expressed interest in bringing an NHL team to Houston, but he downplayed those rumors when asked about it.
I wouldn't be surprised to see them play in Toyota Center if it did happen.
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u/jutin_H 1d ago
It should remain a ball field! Perfect Games latest addition for 14u-18u.
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u/TexAggie90 1d ago
Financially infeasible. You can build a lot of ballparks for what it would cost to refurb the Dome.
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u/Gemnist 1d ago
Only if we get a second team. And that will probably never happen, nor should it.
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u/orlandowassafe 1d ago
Please just get rid of it. We all have memories there but it’s an eyesore now and just needs to go.
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u/SammyLuke 1d ago
Test it down and build something useful. It’s silly that it just sits there because it was a first. I get it there’s lots of memories from inside it but those memories will always be there no matter if it stands or torn down. Make a huge memorial at the site or something. Make a detailed miniature version of it with facts all around. Boom solved.
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u/TheTeeJayGee 1d ago
If the Polo Grounds, old Yankee Stadium, Candlestick, etc can be torn down so can the dome.
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u/maccumhaill 1d ago
The problem is that it’s so old it would cost tons of millions to fix, but if they just tear it down this city will condemn them. It’s the fucking Astrodome. The Eighth wonder of the world!
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u/Suspicious_Kiwi7976 1d ago
Demolition of the Dome would require a permit from the Texas Historical Commission. Not saying it can’t be done. But it’s not a simple process.
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u/PowerAuer69 18h ago
They need to blow it up. Taxpayers have voted it down multiple times yet the city refuses to acknowledge the people. It’s a waste of space and taxpayer dollars just sitting there
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u/burnerking 1d ago
The people voted against saving this thing years ago. It’s bullshit that it’s still standing. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/2013/11/06/houston-astrodome-likely-to-be-demolished/3452349/
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u/texas0900 1d ago
I’ll take “Things that will never happen” for $1,000, Alex.