Astrodome’s glory days not over

Matt Griesmyer

The Signal Staff

It was the dream of Roy Hofheinz, former mayor of Houston, to bring major league baseball to town.  Hofheinz’s dream was realized in 1964 with the completion of one of the largest construction projects the city had ever seen.

The size of the structure is only exceeded by the history surrounding it.  The first home run in the building was hit by Mickey Mantle.  Mohammed Ali fought within its domed structure.  Houstonians old enough to remember still talk about the college basketball game of the century between the University of Houston Cougars and the UCLA Bruins.

The stadium has such magnificent architecture that it is hearalded as the eighth wonder of the world, this is the Astrodome.

The skyline of Houston is dotted with numerous structures that can be picked out from a distance, and the Astrodome is one of those identifiable structures.  It has served the people of this town for well over 40 years.  Yet now it lies dormant, gathering dust and awaiting destiny.

The actual owner of the Astrodome and its surrounding complex is Harris County, however, the current tenants of the land, and by extension the buildings on it, is the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation.

Willie Loston, executive director of the corporation, is essentially the keyholder to the complex.

“From day one, even though it was a county-owned facility, built by the county and financed by puplic bonding, immediately after it was built it was turned over to Roy Hofheinz under a 99 year lease,” Loston said.

Harris County Precinct One Commissioner El Franco Lee also expands on the concept of the county-owned property.

“The dome site is a county park, and it was county park land for that purpose,” Lee said.

The purpose that Lee speaks of is that of a public sports venue.  This purpose, however, is currently in flux.

Once upon a time, the ‘dome served as the home field for two of the three major sports teams in Houston:  the Houston Astros and the Houston Oilers (now the Tennessee Titans).  Now, the stadium seats are gathering dust and the only people allowed inside are maintenance and security personnel.

So what is happening with this massive structure?

The Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1996 and the Astros left for their new home in the downtown stadium – once called Enron Field, now Minute Maid Park.  The Astrodome remained vacant save for a few livestock show and rodeo events held annually.

Since the main tenants of the ‘dome left, plans have been submitted and are still under review from various county boards.

Loston described several ideas that were placed on the table when the boards first started accepting proposals: turn the dome into an indoor amusement park and hotel; develop a “city under glass” with multi-use building space; convert the ‘dome into an indoor festival space; develop the space into a movie studio.

“The Texas motion picture industry lost ground when other states put incentives for moviemakers to come to their states to make pictures,” Loston said.  “They offer substantial incentives to film outside of Hollywood.”
There is, however, a new plan that is gaining support.

“We have been evaluating constructing/converting [the Astrodome] into a science-technology-engineering-mathematics institute with one of the main physical components of that being, what we are being told, would possibly be the world’s largest planetarium,” Loston said.  “We have engaged professionals to develop a ‘preliminary feasibility concept.’  The concept would be to build a planetarium dome inside the Astrodome.”

Loston explained that the space required for the planetarium would be only a portion of the available land within the Astrodome.

“We do have some thoughts on what to do with some of [the remaining space] but we are not ready to go public,” Loston said.

In talking with Lee, it was explained that the people in charge of the concept plans for the Astrodome are not interested in selling off parts of the building to other buyers; any idea that is accepted would be a comprehensive plan.

“It will look like it fits,” Lee said.  “It won’t be an eyesore … It has to fit under a master plan that respects existing tenants and their legal limits.”