The Astrodome
Posted on 09/13/2013 7:26:35 PM PDT by Olog-hai
When it comes to the fate of the iconic but now shuttered and dilapidated Houston Astrodome, take your pick from a variety of sports clichés to describe the stadium’s dire situation. The bottom of the ninth and down to the last out. On the ropes. A must-win ballgame.
A last-ditch effort has been organized to save the dome, with local and national preservation groups and a new political action committee banding together to come up with a solution for the stadium that involves rebirth and not razing the structure. …
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There is a special kind of stupid that emanates from downtown Houston.
At this point, they probably need to combine it with Astroworld.
The Atlanta Falcons are geting ready to build a new billion dollar football temple even though the Georgia Dome is only about 20 years old. Oh, and they’ve only paid off half the bond for its original construction. Its stupid for local governments to get suckered into paying hundreds of millions for the work space of highly profitable private businesses. Then they get stuck with the rotting hulks after the vultures have suckered them again into building newer ones.
All they have to do is raise the money to buy it and preserve it themselves.
Why do that when with a little palm grease the flood gates of public money open up for you?
If they can buy it, make it usable and keep up the taxes then let them have it. It has no historic value.
Have we slipped into an alternate universe? I could have sworn I saw a video of the Astrodome being demolished a few years back. Maybe it was the Kingdome instead...
Worked for Seattle!
The Astrodome
I had a lot of fun there, and got away with a lot.
When I was a kid in the 60’s it was a wondrous place. I still remember the original scoreboard when there was a home run. When I was an adult in the 80’s it was a cold concrete stadium with lousy sight lines, way to steep stairs (dangerous) and private sky boxes that were jokes.
The only thing ever note worthy was the original scoreboard with the raging bulls and six shooters. Blow it up or let 100% private bucks take any resurrection risk.
I remember when the dome was nothing but a big hole in the ground. It was a true wonder when it was completed.
they probably need to combine it with Astroworld.”
What Astroworld?
One of the commissioners was discussing the vast amount of money that would be required to tear it down because of all the various rules and regulations that need to be satisfied. Can’t remember the exact dollar figure but it was close to the cost to renovate it into usable space. It’s not like they can just go in, take a wrecking ball and bulldozer and haul it off in dump trucks - not even in Texas.
I would like to see it retained simply because it was one of the Wonders of the World. Besides it sure came in handy when we had to house all those folks from NOLA for Katrina. Maybe we could just round up all the Amish in Houston and start a Texas annex to Sheriff Joe’s jail in Arizona.
But I don’t live in the city any more so only have an opinion, not a vote and the $8.00 per residence increase in taxes won’t affect me.
perhaps the land could be re-purposed as
a parking lot.
As I recall, the Astrodome cost <$40 million to build. I suppose it will cost more to raze it.
I really have fond memories of that stadium, especially the comfort of watching baseball in Houston in 71 degree weather, beer in hand in a seat that set me back $2.50. (1966)
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