Current:Home > ContactA $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome -Secure Growth Academy
A $1 billion proposal is the latest plan to refurbish and save the iconic Houston Astrodome
Chainkeen View
Date:2025-04-10 18:23:02
HOUSTON (AP) — The Houston Astrodome has been in limbo, waiting for its chance at a second life since being shuttered more than 15 years ago.
It was a technological marvel when it opened in 1965. But its heyday has long passed and it hasn’t been home to a sports team since the Astros left in 1999 and it was closed to all events a decade later.
Over the years, ideas for its redevelopment and rebirth have been plentiful, everything from turning it into an indoor water park to flooding its sunken floor in order to reenact naval battle scenes. But none of these plans garnered enough public support or financing.
The latest proposal to refurbish the Astrodome was unveiled on Wednesday by a nonprofit focused on saving the beloved domed stadium. The group, the Astrodome Conservancy, proposes redeveloping the inside of the structure to create new areas for restaurants, retail, office and cultural spaces. But like the others before it, this plan could face a similar fate, with a $1 billion price tag and an initial lack of support from local entities that would need to give their OK for the project to go forward.
Beth Wiedower Jackson, the conservancy’s executive director, said that unlike previous proposals, her organization believes theirs is backed by data and would be economically viable in part because there would be enough private investment to support it.
“This is a big, big, bold vision. And those previous plans, even admitted by Harris County officials, were a first step towards a future Astrodome. And this is the full swing of the bat. And this gives people something to be excited about,” Jackson said.
The plan, Vision: Astrodome, proposes the construction of four state-of-the-art buildings inside the stadium that would offer spaces for restaurants, stores and offices. Similar spaces for shopping and eating would also be located around the Astrodome and connected to other facilities around the stadium. The Astrodome is at NRG Park, a 350-acre complex that includes NRG Stadium, located right next to the Astrodome and home to the NFL’s Houston Texans, as well as an arena and exhibition halls.
“The Astrodome is ready now for its next chapter, redevelopment,” said Phoebe Tudor, the conservancy’s chairman. “It is time for all of us in Houston to come together and do something hard, working together to repurpose the Astrodome.”
Nicknamed “the Eighth Wonder of the World,” the Astrodome ushered in a change in how people attended sporting events. It also hosted various cultural events, including concerts by Elvis and Tejano music star Selena as well as the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match between Bobby Riggs and Billie Jean King in 1973.
Some people have called for its demolition. But a 2017 designation by the Texas Historical Commission as a state antiquities landmark essentially protects it from wholesale destruction. The stadium also maintains a strong foothold in the memories of many people both in and outside of Houston.
Rafi Kohan, whose 2017 book “The Arena” explores the place sports stadiums hold in American culture, said the Astrodome’s construction came at a time of incredible technological innovation in the United States, and it helped transform Houston from what some saw as a “backwoods cow town” into a leader in technology. Houston became the home of the space program with the opening of Johnson Space Center in 1964.
“There was and continues to be a lot of civic pride around the Astrodome, what it represented, the sort of space age feat, you know, in stadium form,” Kohan said.
Douglas Brinkley, a historian and professor at Houston’s Rice University, said the Astrodome has tremendous historical relevance and is worth saving.
“It’s been our fault that we’ve neglected it or not invested in it. But a turnaround is upon us right now. We’re going to get this done,” Brinkley said.
But whether there continues to be enough support in Houston to refurbish and save the Astrodome remains to be seen. It costs between $100,000 and $200,000 a year to maintain the stadium.
The Astrodome is owned by Harris County and managed by the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation.
The office of Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, the county’s top elected official, declined to comment on the conservancy’s proposal.
James Dixon, the sports and convention corporation’s chairman, said in a statement that he respects the conservancy’s efforts but “over the last few years, we have seen several concepts that, while thought-provoking, haven’t resulted in viable funding and maintenance solutions.”
Dixon said his organization and the county are working with other stakeholders on a plan for the future of NRG Park and “the solution for the Astrodome must be decided within that context.”
One of those stakeholders, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which holds its annual event at NRG Park and would have a say on what to do with the Astrodome, was not on board with the conservancy’s proposal.
“The proposed plan by the Astrodome Conservancy does not align with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s strategic vision and operational requirements,” Chris Boleman, the group’s president and CEO, said in a statement.
___
Follow Juan A. Lozano on X at https://x.com/juanlozano70
veryGood! (56)
Related
- Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
- Columbia’s president, no stranger to complex challenges, walks tightrope on student protests
- Bridgerton's Nicola Coughlan Has Regal Response to Criticism Over Outfit Choice
- Charlie Woods attempting to qualify for 2024 US Open at Florida event
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- House speaker calls for Columbia University president's resignation amid ongoing protests
- When does 'Bridgerton' Season 3 return? Premiere date, cast, trailer for Netflix romance
- The dual challenge of the sandwich generation: Raising children while caring for aging parents
- How to watch new prequel series 'Dexter: Original Sin': Premiere date, cast, streaming
- Kaley Cuoco Details How Daughter Matilda Is Already Reaching New Heights
Ranking
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Colleges nationwide turn to police to quell pro-Palestine protests as commencement ceremonies near
- Woman wins $1M in Oregon lottery raffle, credits $1.3B Powerball winner for reminder
- Groups urge Alabama to reverse course, join summer meal program for low-income kids
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Trump Media asks lawmakers to investigate possible unlawful trading activity in its DJT stock
- Horoscopes Today, April 24, 2024
- Woman wins $1M in Oregon lottery raffle, credits $1.3B Powerball winner for reminder
Recommendation
Pressure on a veteran and senator shows what’s next for those who oppose Trump
Louisiana man sentenced to 50 years in prison, physical castration for raping teen
Tennessee GOP-led Senate spikes bill seeking to ban LGBTQ+ Pride flags in schools
Why Taylor Swift's 'all the racists' lyric on 'I Hate It Here' is dividing fans, listeners
What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
Horoscopes Today, April 23, 2024
8 years after the National Enquirer’s deal with Donald Trump, the iconic tabloid is limping badly
Charlie Woods attempting to qualify for 2024 US Open at Florida event