Astrodome

I think the entire NRG complex is about attracting events and, subsequently, attracting visitors to the complex.

 

Will the Astrodome renovation have them attract more events that they don't already get... and what would those be?

I still think the downtown/discovery green/renovated GRB/Marriot/Hilton area is a MUCH better centralized/accessible venue for future big outdoor concerts, mega-events, city-wide participation. Plus... people go there even if there's not a major event, provided the weather is nice. I expect plenty of big Astros crowds this summer that will funnel into the surrounding area growth and the potential for more concurrent street festivals/concerts that feed off the ballpark crowd.

Venues like the Woodlands and now the Smart Financial center have been attracting concert acts over downtown for years... with Toyota center still a player. Suddenly, the Astrodome is going to change that? We shall see...

 

I wish houston had something like millennium park/the bean in chicago

 

It's clear now that the Astrodome isn't going to be destroyed anytime soon so I really hope they use the space to make something aesthetically pleasing. Make part of it a massive museum - use the floor space for sports/ concerts/ rodeo/ etc. - make it a destination. Casino would be the best option but that isn't going to happen.

 

Just curious have the Bud Adams renovations that took out the score board and added seats been payed off?

 

Why in the hell would you want to go to a concert that big?? It’s a concert. Not a football game. Stone Temple Pilots at Verizon Wireless Theatre (Revention) in 2000 was the best concert I’ve ever been to. That place is amazing for concerts.

 

Let me know when big time singers regularly put on shows there

The Hollywood Bowl, the Greek, Red Rocks, Radio City are all fantastic larger music venues. Houston has nothing like that

 

houston doesn't need a music venue as big as the astrodome. theres plenty of venues all around town and toyota center is probably as big of a venue as you need, other then nrg.

 

Houston doesn't NEED anything other than more competent city planners. A unique and recognizable music venue would just be something nice that other cities have and houston lacks

 

i have yet to hear houston has any issues as far as music venues. definitely not something you use the astrodome for

 

Cynthia Woods?

 

The Astrodome had god awful acoustics. Concert venue? No me gusto.

 

The World's Largest Greenhouse, or Atrium, whatever you want to call it.

Glass ceiling + Houston summer + Houston humidity....

Good luck getting people inside that, but if you want to, just exactly how much will it cost to AC that thing?

 

This is true. In my marching band days marching on that turf, the drum cadence would reverb so many times it would throw off our routine. Terrible

 

Not any different than how it's been since 1965. The AC is turned on now for air circulation. May actually be cheaper to run the AC after this construction since the floor is being raised and there will be less cubic feet of indoor space.

 

Slightly different: glass ceiling vs painted ceiling.

 

Yeah that'll be different but that painted area didn't cover too large of an area.

 

Uh, correct me if I'm wrong, but it covered the whole damn thing.

This is why we invented Astroturf, they couldn't grow grass in there without blinding every athlete on the floor.

 

That, and if I remember correctly, it was WAY too hot originally. 1960's A/C wasn't quite as good as what is available today.

 

The grass died after they painted the portion you see.

The other panels are still translucent. Were they one more translucent when it was brand new? Probably. I never saw workers cleaning those panels on a daily or weekly basis. They’ll probably get more clear again with a full power washing.

However, it’s an urban legend that the painting of the CF facing portion by itself is what caused the grass to die. Seeing some of the difficulty they had with the grass when MMP first opened (which gets direct sunlight and wind), and seeing that they had to invent a mutant/hybrid strain that better survived (that didn’t come around till 2010), I highly doubt they had a type of grass in 1965 that was impervious to the effects of lack of wind and lack of direct sunlight.

In other words, the grass was always going to die. AstroTurf was inevitable.

Same concept holds true for stadiums like Minnesota and the new one in LA... they have glass roofs. But they aren’t ever going to attempt to grow grass in them.

But to answer your question again, the CF facing portion is what got painted over.