What do we do with the Astrodome?

KHOU ^ | 03/21/2013 | Doug Miller

[Responsibility2nd]

HOUSTON -- Behold what has become of the eighth wonder of the world. The Astrodome sits dark, dusty, dilapidated and haunted by Houston’s history.

Giant signs touting bearing outdated logos for corporate sponsors like Continental Airlines hang over orange seats with ripped cushions. Skyboxes are furnished with outdated furniture and old Zenith television sets. Astroturf sits carelessly tossed on the stadium floor, folded over like discarded carpet left behind in an abandoned home.

“What do I see?” said Edgar Colon, chairman of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp., as he looked around the empty stadium. “I see a lot of history.”

Once a centerpiece of civic pride, the Astrodome now sits at the center of a squabble between civic leaders. On one side sits a couple of very influential tenants, the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which lease Reliant Stadium and Reliant Center. On the other side sits leaders of Harris County, which owns the complex that includes the long-vacant Astrodome.

For the Texans and the HLSR, the dome is the eyesore next door, a grungy and rundown neighbor next to one of the finest football stadiums in the nation.

For Harris County leaders, it’s an expensive and politically vexing conundrum that’s costing millions of taxpayer dollars and will inevitably cost tens of millions more.

[Responsibility2nd]

 

 

Video at link

[exnavy]

Looks real good to me, have you seen the Detroit area lately?

[texanyankee]

Turn it over to DHS for a holding facility?

[gov_bean_ counter]

“I see a lot of history.”

Clearly one man's "history" is another man's junk.

[wolfman]

Make it the capitol building of the newly formed Republic of Texas.

[nascarnation]

In Indy we tore down the Hoosier (RCA) Dome after they built Lucas Snake Oil Stadium.

Even though we taxpayers owed more on it in bonds than it cost to build originally due to municipal helocs.

Thank you Bart Peterson (D).

[21twelve]

I imagine they could sell those seats and other junk off as “memorabilia”. When the old outdoor stadium for the Vikings was torn up they sold the stuff. Folks bought sections of seats to put in their game rooms and basement TV rooms, etc.

[SgtHooper]

Temporary detainment processing for any incoming libtards to the state, before moving them on to NM.

[texanyankee]

I’m all for that!

[Calvin Locke]

Never been there, but I remember a model rocket magazine article about some model rocket competition held there. Must have been the late 1960s.

Specifically, a photo of a rocket that coming within a couple of inches of the highest point of the dome.

[ansel12]

When you grew up in Houston and in 1965 still did not have air conditioning and had endured non-air conditioned schools, then attending a Colt 45 (Houston Astros original name) game while sitting in a soft chair and with AC was a very space age experience.

We also saw the man with the jet pack flying around inside the Dome, America used to have a bright future before the immigration law was changed that year.

[elcid1970]

Rename it the Mickey Leland Great Hall of the Entitled Masses. No renovations necessary.

[hillarys cankles]

This next season will be the 49ers last at Candlestick Park. Plans have already been made to demolish candlestick. I hope the city sells the seats and other stuff from the stadium. I for one am ready to shell out some cash for 2 seats. Ive spent a lot of my childhood watching the Giants and the 49ers at Candlestick.

Houston could make some good money selling those Astrodome seats.

[Grams A]

Make it the capitol building of the newly formed Republic of Texas.”

That would be great but Houston is not exactly the place to go to find Conservatives. Gay, liberal Mayor, liberal Chief of Police, City Hall filled with Sheila Jackson Lee supporters, Mexican dominant school system, single family housing in the Village and on Kirby being torn down and replaced with multi-story, multi-family Agenda 21 compliant structures, aging infrastructure including roads, sewer system and highways, huge and ever increasing gang membership, growing Muslim population, on direct drug route from Mexico border...

It was a great place to house refugees from Louisiana during Katrina though and could be used to house illegals if we had someone like Sheriff Joe. Since it already has a dome of sorts I’m surprised the Mussies don’t buy it and do the refurbishing.

[Fair Paul]

Tear down or renovate the Astrodome for the Texans to play in. Reliant Stadium is so old and obsolete, it might even be over ten years old. Isn’t it time for the NFL to begin a new round of extorting $ for new stadiums?

[palmerizedCaddis]

One question, is it paid for yet?

Caddis

[Responsibility2nd]

Rename it the Mickey Leland Great Hall of the Entitled Masses. No renovations necessary.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

How about the Quannel X Center for the Victimized with Made Up Names?

[Past Your Eyes]

Funny how these “stadia” built in the ‘60s and ‘70s (maybe even later than that) are all obsolete and decrepit and in need of replacement and yet Fenway Park still stands at the age of 101 years and functions and sells out every seat for what is certainly one of professional sports most successful franchises. The only other place these days that is as iconic is probably Wrigley Field.

[plain talk]

Use it as a hurricane shelter. :-)

[trisham]

I love Fenway Park.