I think the roof should be preserved (and moved) but the building can go. I wonder how much it would cost to build more convention space using the roof on the Reliant property.
it just needs to go at this point. There is no cost effective solution other than that. Adding a little plaza area would be cool, especially if it had some of the history shown off of the astrodome.
Just have a drone fly over and blow it up. They're not very accurate, so we might lose everything within a one mile radius of the Astrodome, but eh.
They should've turned it into convention space instead of building another convention building right next to it.
Rodeo, Texans put Dome demolish cost at $29 million By Kiah Collier March 20, 2013 The Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo have commissioned a study showing it would cost $29 million to demolish the vacant Reliant Astrodome and build a 1,600-space parking lot, less than half what consultants hired by the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp. estimated it would cost to tear down the facility. The most recent cost estimate to demolish the 9.14-acre structure and build a plaza in its place was $64 million, cited in a report released last year by consultants hired by the sports corporation, which runs Reliant Park. A 2010 study said demolition, asbestos removal and construction of a plaza would cost $78 million. Rodeo Chief Operating Officer Leroy Shafer said the parties wanted to calculate a lowest-cost option to present to Harris County Commissioner's Court. "We're not recommending this option over any other option, but we didn't feel there was a viable, low-cost option and we think this will do that," Shafer said. "We hope the commissioners find this information helpful as they evaluate options to deal with the Astrodome and move Reliant Park forward for the citizens of Harris County." The county still owes about $30 million in construction debt on the 48-year-old stadium, which has not housed a sports team since 2000 when the Houston Astros moved to Minute Maid Field downtown. The Dome was declared unsuitable for occupancy in 2009. The county spends more than $1.5 million a year on insurance, maintenance, security and utilities. "We just want something to happen," Shafer said, noting that having a "big, dead building sitting in the middle of this premiere presentation" was an "inconvenience" to the 2.5 million people who attended this year's rodeo who had to walk around it. He also said the Dome could hurt Houston's chances of hosting the Super Bowl in 2017. Texans owner Bob McNair suggested the same in an interview with the Associated Press last month when he named former Secretary of State James Baker III to head the city's Super Bowl bid committee. 3 options suggested According to an executive summary, the study offers three options for demolishing the Dome: implode it for $7.3 million; dismantle it for $11.8 million; or partially dismantle and blow up the building for $11.8 million. A separate estimate puts the cost of imploding the Dome and building a 1,600-space parking lot at $29 million. "It is our professional opinion the Reliant Astrodome can be decommissioned and demolished safely and the site be readied for a new purpose," local firms Linbeck Construction and Walter P. Moore and Associates wrote in a March 15 letter attached to the study. County Judge Ed Emmett said he was "disappointed" with the study because he thought it was going to contain more extensive recommendations. "I was hoping that this was going to be a meaningful look at alternatives, but instead this was just a pricing on tearing down the dome, and if commissioner's court makes that decision, we'd probably do that pricing ourselves," Emmett said, adding that the Texans "and the Livestock Show & Rodeo to a lesser extent have made it clear that they would prefer that the dome be demolished." While acknowledging the discussion about what to do with the dome has lasted for too long, Emmett said, "We're not going to be rushed on it." Last summer, when the Sports Corp. presented options for what to do with the Astrodome, including the $64 million demolition estimate, Commissioners Court said it could put a bond referendum on the ballot last November or this May to raise the funds to renovate it. Not on May ballot The deadline to place items on the May ballot passed March 12. Sports Corp. Executive Director Willie Loston said the agency received the study on Tuesday and will consider it as it has with every other proposal it has received in the last decade to repurpose the facility. Those have included a hotel, an indoor ski area and other concepts Loston said range "from the sublime to the ridiculous." "The best of all worlds would be to enter into a public-private partnership that would be able to rehabilitate the building," he said. Asked if the corporation is close to bringing any kind of recommendation to commissioners court, Loston said "We're not that close on any of them, but there are proposals that are in various stages of evaluation and, or discussion." http://www.houstonchronicle.com/new...xans-put-Dome-demolish-cost-at-29-4368256.php
Yeah, I'm not at all happy about the idea. I watched the Dome go up, and I'd hate to watch it come down, and for a freakin' parking lot.
I actually like the idea of a parking lot. It's the most practical solution and the only one without an impossible price tag. I think we all know it will eventually happen. And that McNair will make sure taxpayers cover the cost. It sucks, but that's how it'll go down and we all know it.
Roger Goddell agrees... http://blog.chron.com/ultimatetexans/2013/03/nfl-commissioner-more-parking-spots-would-help-houstons-super-bowl-bid/ And now the Astrodome has become a scapegoat if Houston doesn't win the Super Bowl bid.
Since the Houston area is so flat I always thought a real Mt. Houston in the form of an ecological park would be really cool. Something like The Berg Mountain but smaller scale, maybe 150-175 meters (500-600ft) would work. I think Reliant is 80m tall so this would be ~twice as tall but much smaller than the Transco Tower (275m/900ft) for example. Outdoor mountain biking/climbing/hiking/etc... on Mt. Houston, how cool would that be!!! http://www.archdaily.com/40755/the-berg-the-biggest-artificial-mountain-in-the-world/
Have you seen the mojority of people here? They don't "do" that kind of stuff. They'd make more money turning it into a Drive inn Movie theater.
Bob McNair has no ownership stake in the Astrodome, does he? Isn't it owned by Harris County? Why would you expect him to cover the cost of something he doesn't own? Makes no sense. This was a report that the Texans and Rodeo commissioned to try and show the county a cheaper number for a solution other than the ridiculous $60 million price tag they came up with for taxpayers. They want it down because it's a blight on the things they do have ownership stake in. Tell you what, when your next door neighbor lets his house fall into complete disrepair and does nothing to it, we'll make him fix it up or tear it down, but you're gonna cover the cost. Seems fair, right?
i hate all of the renovation ideas for the dome.. all those places would be awesome, but why the **** do they have to be built in the astrodome?? the close proximity to reliant would make any reno extremely awkward location-wise... tear that b**** down. the houstonians that are so reluctant to tear it down piss me the **** off.. dude called into 610 and started crying.. people act like if they tear the dome down their memories will fade like photos in back to the future. houstonins are so enamored with this idea of "the 8th wonder of the world" well Google 8th wonder of the world and see how many things before and after the dome were considered the "8th wonder of the world." seriously theres like 30 things... if historical buildings like yankee stadium and the boston garden can be demolished so can the astrodome.. its 2013 all domes are ugly as ****, were lucky we didnt just spend 300 million on reno like NOLA did on the superdome, that place is still a dump and a giant eyesore..
