Team Has Multiple Concerns The Houston Texans have issued their response to the $450 million proposed plan to transform the Reliant Astrodome into a hotel and convention complex. Like the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which issued its response last week, the Texans have a number of issues with the project planned by Astrodome Redevelopment Corporation. FOX 26 Sports has obtained a copy of the Texans response from the office of Harris County attorney Mike Stafford after filing a request for the documents via Texas Open Records. ARC's proposed lease did receive approval in May from Harris County attorney Mike Stafford who at that time wrote in a letter to Harris County Commissioners Court: "We feel the proposed lease to ARC respects the rights of the Rodeo and the Texans." Stafford wrote. Tony Wyllie, Texans Vice-President Communications, told FOX 26 the Texans have reviewed the agreement and sent their response to the county last Friday. "We continue to have areas of concern but we will work in good faith with the county, ARC, and the Rodeo, to resolve these concerns," Wyllie said. "We believe this project is still in its very preliminary stage and there is so much more to discuss before the hotel is built." ...more on the website... http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/p...n=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=1.1.1
My concern is that the Texans appear to shoot down every proposal to save the Dome from the wrecking ball using the "access" on game day excuse. That's 10 days out of a year at the most, you can work something out...
but really access on gamedays are horrible in that stadium...they should have planned it out a little better.
Make it into a Damn casino already...!!!!! Think about it for a second. 1. Jobs it will create 2. Gas it will save (Stops people from driving to LA) 3. Most important the amount of money will stay in Texas instead of LA a. Revenues generated could be anywhere between 20-50 billion. b. Large Hotel site can be built in old Astroworld park. c. Houston can add this as a visitor attraction. Now I know alot of you are going to say the crime and people gambling away there entire life savings... 1. Didn't I mention that it can generate Billions of dollars. Do you know what the city of Houston can do with that money. It can add double,tripple,etc the amount of police officers and wouldn't make a scratch off even a billion dollars. with 1% of a billion you can create 100's of programs for the addicts. People making it to a casino would just accelerate Houston's growth.. Period
I think its more of a thing where there are more events there than just game day. But can't they add parking where astroworld used to be?
Seriously, an indoor amusement park would kick arse. You could have the rollercoasters all intertwine and zip past one another, lending an appearance that you are going even faster than you are. PLUS, it would be an awesome tourist attraction, something that Houston seriously lacks.
This thing is going to have a parking garage. Gameday access (the ten, and at most 12 days out of the year) should not be a problem. Do you know how great it would be to have a 1,000+ room convention hotel next to an NFL stadium? Hosting Super Bowls would get a lot easier.
They are already doing that in Houston. It will be near the "Earth Quest" theme park near New Caney (1,500 acres; largest theme park in the South outside of Disney World). Here is the indoor ski in Houston, called Snow Mountain, Texas. Besides, the Texans/Rodeo are more open to the Convention Hotel, according to the Chron today: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/metro/5927069.html
texans and rodeo warming up to idea Opposition to Dome project eases a bit Rodeo, Texans are negotiating to make sure their rights are guarded By BILL MURPHY Copyright 2008 Houston Chronicle Aug. 5, 2008, 11:41PM BILLY SMITH II CHRONICLE FILE Astrodome Redevelopment officials announced plans four years ago to turn the Astrodome into a convention hotel. Despite their previous staunch opposition to the project, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Texans signaled that they may be able to coexist with a convention hotel that would be built in the Astrodome. Their more conciliatory attitude toward the 1,300-room project was evident in recently submitted reviews of the proposed convention hotel lease. "We will be pleased to work with the (Harris County Sports and Convention Corp., Astrodome Redevelopment Co. and the rodeo) in an effort to finalize agreements that protect the rights of all parties and allow for the successful redevelopment of the Reliant Astrodome," wrote Texans president Jamey Rootes in an Aug. 1 letter to the county attorney's office. Opposition from the rodeo has been even more fierce until now. But on Tuesday, Leroy Shafer, the rodeo's chief operating officer, said, "Last time, we were looking at a business proposal that violated our rights all over the place. Now, a lease is being developed to protect our rights." Even if the Texans and the rodeo drop opposition to the project, Astrodome Redevelopment Co. still needs to obtain financing for the ambitious, $450 million effort to transform the building once known as the Eighth Wonder of the World into a convention hotel. Astrodome Redevelopment president Scott Hanson said the company's efforts to obtain financing have been hampered by an inability to strike a lease with the sports corporation, which oversees Reliant Park operations, including the Astrodome. "The (commercial lending) market is much tougher now. Quite frankly, we have been waiting on getting an approved lease before we go back out into the marketplace," he said. But he said he hopes that the sports corporation and Astrodome Redevelopment can agree on a lease now that the Texans and the rodeo have entered negotiations. "We're glad and pleased that the comments have been forthcoming on the lease. We are trying to work things out with (the rodeo and Texans) and the county," he said. The project has looked like it was going nowhere several times since Astrodome Redevelopment officials announced four years ago that they were giving up on plans to turn the Dome into an amusement-entertainment park and would be building a convention hotel instead. The sports corporation delayed putting forward a lease until one was written that the Texans and the rodeo — Reliant Park's primary tenants — might accept. The Texans and the rodeo previously opposed the 1,300-room, upscale hotel, saying it would siphon off revenue and possibly violate their deals with the sports corporation on naming rights and concessions. In their reviews of the lease, the rodeo and Texans said they continue to have concerns about naming rights, ambush marketing and violations of concession contracts, but are willing to negotiate with the county attorney's office on these issues. The rodeo and Texans also wish to review where Astrodome Redevelopment would build a bridge from the Loop 610 frontage road to the hotel, a skywalk from the hotel to Reliant Center convention hall and a walkway from the Metro light rail stop on Fannin to the hotel. Depending on where such additions went, they could interfere with rodeo operations and violate the rodeo's lease with the sports corporation, Shafer said. County Attorney Mike Stafford said a team of lawyers in his office working on the Dome lease hasn't finished its review of the Texans' and rodeo's critiques.
they could build a rollercoaster that starts inside the dome goes outside around reliant then come back around!
whoa!! i really hope they build one here....it would be good for keeping my boarding skills sharp in between trips to the rockies.
Wow! I had no idea. Looks cool. thanks for informing me. BTW, HIGH QUALITY pics / info about the proposed Houston Ski park http://www.s333.org/NWwebPDFs/s333.1168.Houston.pdf A project that group has already started working on: http://www.franklinandrews.com/projects/?mode=type&id=15490 Snow Mountain vs. Ski Dubai Height: 149 m vs. 85 m, or 44 vs. 25 stories Of the 149 m, the end of the slope is at 24 m, so it is a true 125 m a healthy 47% advantage over Ski Dubai. Ski Area: 40,800 m2 vs. 22,500 m2 This area is covered snow. It seems like finally Houston will have something bigger than Dubai, and it will look like a blocky mountain, rather than a metal slide. Ofcourse when this is done...it'll be amazing: http://realestate.theemiratesnetwork.com/developments/dubai/dubailand/snowdome.php http://www.houstonarchitecture.info/haif/index.php?showtopic=11890&st=100&p=264677&#entry264677
