I say bring back Astro World and make it an indoor theme park. Houston does not have a single theme park, and lot of people say it’s too hot for one, so this could be a solution.
@@CzechJamieI have no idea what you are talking about, but I have a bit of an idea what things Six Flags did wrong that let crime become a problem in the park which during the 70’s and 80’s was often used as a virtual daycare center by parents who would simply drop off their kids for the day.
I lived in Houston for 12 years and got to attend several Astros games there. It was a very underrated venue for baseball. Was a great place to watch a game.
Funny story outfielder often struggled in the first few years. Around this time the Astrodome actually had grass and it grew easily. But due to the outfielder issues they began to darken some of the pannels. The sideffect was that the grass died and they had to use astroturf.
After the very first exhibition series with the Yankees, the outfielders were having such trouble with the glare that they started painting the balls orange and bright yellow. This didn’t help so they painted over the skylights. They played pretty much the entire first year of the Domes existence on green colored painted dirt. Chem-grass had been developed in the off season and installed before season 2. Then chem-grass became known as Astro-turf!
Tons of rain, hot as hell with extreme humidity in Houston. The whole complex being under a roof and with AC, I think it would be a huge hit with locals and visitors.
If the inside is refaced with stone it can keep the building cool without the need for AC. Stones are natural heat sinks. Chimneys also allow hot air to escape since heat rises. Its not like Houston is at risk of earthquakes so using stone to build is a good idea. Trees are known to naturally cool areas also and changing the color asphalt to more pastel colors will further reduce the heat since the color black traps heat. AC units are known to increase the temperature of cities because they blow hot air outside.
@@Law19157 Sure, spend a billion dollars on a building that's not needed. There is no venue that needs the Astrodome. Make a stone building and pack it with 50,000 people and see if it says cool in Houston in August. LOL
@@TexanUSMC8089It's ok if you don't understand architecture or materials engineering but don't open your mouth in arrogance and pretend to know what you're talking about because you're making yourself sound dumb.
So glad they haven’t torn the Astrodome down. If there’s any place that should be home to a sports museum for Houston, it’s in that building. Not just for Astros and Oilers games, but the Battle of the Sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, Houston-UCLA with Lew Alcindor vs Elvin Hayes, WrestleMania X-Seven. And that’s just off the top of my head.
I agree. Other sports venues need to be reused instead of just demolishing them. Maybe a college could use the venue, like whate Georgia State did to Turner Field.
@@pwcorgi2000No college in the area has a popular enough sports program. They'd all look really stupid playing to so many empty seats. UH is probably the biggest, but Tillman Fertitta would never let them move anywhere that wasn't named after him.
Yeah, I traveled to Houston to see the Aggies play many times in the early '90s. The Astrodome was also featured in the movie "Bad News Bears", a Walter Matthews best classic (imho), and my first memory of the building.
One of the greatest basketball games of the 60/70s was played in the Astrodome between UCLA (then Lew Alcindor) and UH (Elvin Hayes) in January 1968. The game was the first nationally televised NCAA baskeball game, and was played in front of a then record crowd of 52,000. UH upset UCLA 71-69, ending a 47 game winning streak.
They repurposed the pyramid in Memphis into a huge Bass Pro Shop, with a bar at the top and a view of the Mississippi River and downtown Memphis. Plus they have a pond and some small streams and a hunting themed hotel rooms. That is a much smaller venue, but it is really a nice repurpose
@@WickyWickerson I was in Memphis last year on vacation and visited the Pyramid, this is something that Houston should consider doing with the Astrodome.......and if Memphis wants to, they could do the same with the arena
@boilermaker2006 it's crazy in the Bass Pro/Pyramid how to rooms of the lodge overlook the store! We also have an old Sears Building that they have repurposed into a mixed use development with office space, apartments, a high school and retail, called Crosstown Concourse.
I’m just glad the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles survived, has been upgraded and remains a great venue to see a concert or other event. PS - saw so many events at LA Sports arena now demolished and Santa Monica Civic now closed due to seismic risk.
Thanks for making this video! I'm a native Texan and a 30+ year Astros fan who saw his first ever MLB game (and pro sports event) inside the Astrodome. I was living in Houston when the 2013 initiative failed, so I've been worried about the Dome's long-term prospects since then. The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, reportedly, doesn't support this plan and I fear that might be influential enough to kill it. Like you, I hope they find a way to preserve such a historic venue. But I also wanted to write this because the saga of the A's and Raiders reminded me so much of the 80-90s politics surrounding the Astrodome, too. Like the Oakland Coliseum up until the mid-90s, the Astrodome was once a baseball-first facility. But in the late 80s, in an effort to keep the Oilers from leaving (i think for Jacksonville at the time), Harris County agreed to tear down the beloved Astrodome scoreboard and expand the building's seating capacity. A decade later, this concession to Bud Adams would prove itself a waste as he moved the Oilers anyway to Tennessee. Robbed of its ambience as a baseball park, the Astrodome would continue to age and see declining attendance. As the 90s wore on, Houston would come under threat of losing the Astros, too. This time, to bidders from Virginia. Luckily for those of us who love the city and the franchise, then-owner Drayton McLane wound up sticking it out and the success of the Killer B's era - along with the pain of losing the Oilers - led Harris County to approve a new referendum to finance what is, today, Minute Maid Park. But for a moment, Houston was nearly a city that would go from having 3 pro franchises to 1 in less than a handful of years. I thought about this a lot as I've watched the saga of the Athletics play out on your channel and I greatly hoped the Howard Terminal plan would save them for Bay Area fans. I haven't commented on this before, but you have my condolences as a sports fan on the move of the team. I hope that one day MLB realizes its mistake and rectifies it with another franchise.
The renovations that took place in 1988-1989 included adding 10,000 seats, four exterior ramps (required to comply with the upcoming ADA of 1990,) a new scoreboard system (to replace the one they had to remove,) and 66 luxury suites. Adding 10,000 seats increased the Astrodome's capacity from I believe around 52k to 62k. I believe the addition of 10,000 seats lifted the Astrodome from the smallest stadium in the league to 2nd smallest just ahead of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis. The Astrodome was 25 years old when those renovations were completed. Unfortunately for everyone involved, those renovations didn't improve the playing surface. It didn't improve technology, it didn't improve infrastructure, it didn't improve the actual seats themselves, the restrooms, the concession stands, nothing. The difference between technology of 1990 vs. 1965 sadly was a helluva lot more drastic than say... 1999 to 2024. By 1995, the Astrodome was 30 years old and significantly obsolete. The saddest thing of all is that Houston gave Bud the middle finger and let the Oilers walk, then decided to build a new stadium less than two years after they walked out the door. McLane was a scumbag. He was feeding Bob Lanier a lot of BS about the Dome being a top class facility, then before the Oilers were even out the door, he was threatening to move to DC. Don't forget that Les Alexander was also threatening to move to Louisville at the time. Houston almost found themselves like Oakland with ZERO.
I was a Bat Boy for the Astros 1974- 1975 seasons and I have many, many cool stories to tell about those seasons and the Astrodome itself, I would LOVE to see it repurposed for memory sake!
This reminds me of Toronto with Maole Leaf Gardens. Not sure how familiar you are with that building but historical site cannot tear it down. The facade is the same but it’s a grocery store and eventhough there is an arena inside on upper level the lower level is amazing cause you are grocery shopping and if you go down one of the aisles the Maple Leaf Logo is on the floor where the Maple Leaf center ice logo was it’s pretty cool.
The only thing I would change is add like a remake of the old scoreboard that was in the Astrodome before it was remodeled to add seats. The citizens have to realize it is going to cost a pretty penny to revitalize the Astrodome. The longer people wait the more it'll cost.
There is an impasse to imploding the dome. The vibration would damage the 4 bldgs surrounding it. I am happy to hear there is another effort being made to save it. And, if they made the top floor small 300 sq ft residences, I would move in!
the Airconditioning is so far out of code now, it will need to be completely replaced. I love keeping those skylights. Maintenance? Yes. When hurricane Katrina hit and LA came here to shelter there, I was one of the volunteer RN’s there. And our act of kindness reaped much damage to the dome. …just a part of the dome’s history forgotten.
For those of us who went to the Astrodome for multiple events of different types, we saw the problem with a baseball game, football game, the rodeo, etc. Nobody complained about lines of sight or anything else. We just had a great time.
This is basically what they did with the Millennium Dome in London. They took that huge indoor space and not only built an arena inside of it (The O2), but it's also filled with shops, movie theaters, etc...
In the last 20 years, shopping at a mall has dropped off dramatically. The Astros dome is way bigger than the Mall of Americas building in Minneapolis. Malls are dying all over the country. People are shopping online. No company wants to lease the Dome because it's too big, too expensive, and needs too much work.
While I fully agree that Houston needs to get the next NHL team (either from expansion or a team move), I don't think a venue like the astrodome would lend itself to ....actually, as I was writing that, and listening to Brodie, I started to think that perhaps you are on to something. They should make a smaller NHL/NBA sized arena _inside_ the Astrodome and just leave the top off. Let the Astrodome's roof keep the weather out but other than that, have a Roman Coliseum type arena right in the middle. That would be pretty cool and unique.
To all the naysayers in here, the Tampa Bay Lightning played a few seasons in what is now Tropicana Field, so anything is possible. It was called the Thunderdome for those few seasons before the Ice Palace (Amalie Arena) got finished where they play today. This could end up like Seattle where the Kraken play, Climate Pledge Arena, which is technically the oldest arena in the NHL hosting the NHL’s newest franchise.
@@Mark-Stingray427The renovations wouldn't use the existing seating footprint but instead radically renovate the interior to fit a rink more appropriately with the rest of the stadium footprint including larger concourses, restaurants /bars/shops, and expanded club seating, offices spaces, etc. even possibly with a seperate "theatre" section.
I remember going on a tour of the Kingdome in Seattle in 1977 when it was almost new. The tour guide told us that it actually "rained' in the Astrodome when new because of inadequate ventilation, so care was taken not to have that happen in the design of the Kingdome.
My Dad took me to a baseball game at the astrodome when I was very young. I was absolutely amazed by the roof and the technology of the scoreboard. I was so young I don’t remember much else at that age, but it was an unforgettable event to see. The other amazing thing is that it was pouring rain outside.
I was in Minneapolis for a baseball game in the old Metrodome and had a similar experience. A bad summer thunderstorm come in around the fourth inning but the game kept on like nothing was happening outside. The storm was over by the time the game was over so that is one bennifit of domed stadiums where bad weather can happen during a sports season.
Even more federal funds may be available to designate the building as an emergency shelter for hurricanes. The Astrodome has seen many of them and still stands proud.
The velodrome from the 1976 Montreal Olympics was repurposed into the Biodôme, which is an indoor zoo/aquarium. That was a great repurposing of that venue, and it remains a must visit attraction in Montreal!
Learning how to build within domes can be valuable experience for colonizing space and hostile environments, where we'll have to build buildings within buildings to survive. And it would be fitting for some of that practice to come from a building named the "ASTROdome".
Honestly making it primarily for rodeo and high school sports seems like it'd be perfect. Maybe some sort of "Texas Heritage Bowl" for college football too. Basically turn it into the Houston version of that small stadium next to the Cowboys main stadium. Also make it similar to how North Wilkesboro Speedway was rebuilt. Do just enough to get it running and then make the upgrades after
How would that make enough money to pay the maintenance on the building? They would need to make a million dollars a month just to keep the doors open. Good luck.
Astroturf is nothing like field turf. Astroturf was thin and had no padding underneath. It is like a green carpet. Field turf is synthetic grass with padding underneath to capture the feel of a real outdoor grassy surface. Astroturf was more dangerous to play on than field turf.
Original Astroturf is the same stuff you can buy at your local home center/lumberyard. It has advanced over time like all products. The big problem with all these artificial turf products is that the buyers generally don't understand that there is constant maintenance required. It my area, many school districts are removing field turf and going back to grass because the maintenance costs end up being the same over time. We have plenty of rain and sun here. I understand that situations are different in other parts of the country.
Stadiums that had astroturf, had a layer of foam padding underneath it. The Kingdome in Seattle had at least a half inch layer of foam padding between the turf and stadium floor.
A later evolution of artificial surface. It was probably not thought necessary when the first iteration was made by Monsanto, as the primary use was for baseball.
Oddly enough it reminded me of the Memphis Pyramid with the Bass Pro Shop hotel inside an old NBA arena. There are other pretty well known instances of sports venues being turned into other things, though this could be the first NFL venue I can think of. Maple Leaf Gardens and the Montreal Forum have both been renovated to other uses.
I used to go watch the Houston Cougars play there when I was in medical school…. I saw David Klingler throw 10 touchdowns in ONE game there in ‘94 I believe….
I share your sentiment about "out of state taxpayers," but I disagree with your assertion that "local taxpayers didn't want to save it." The 2013 proposal that was rejected by voters would have turned to 'dome into an ill-conceived, grossly oversized convention center in a city that already has an abundance of convention centers. If the proposal had passed, it was doomed to commercial failure.
It would be cool if they could do a retractable grass field like the NFL's Raiders and Cardinals - it would still give the Houston Dynamo and Dash a grass field with the benefits of a dome. There could even be a turf field underneath the soccer field for American football.
@ I don’t know if they can change the exterior too much with it being a landmark. Maybe they could do something like Real Madrid or Tottenham Hotspur and have the field move into a storage space with grow lights.
Yeah Houston already has an ideal MLS stadium in an ideal location. I do like the idea though of turning the AstroArena into a parking lot and turning the Astrodome into it's current plans with the new AstroArena being inside the dome
@@TSSaloic Exactly. Why anyone would rather watch a game from the Dome is mind boggling. At Shell you are right on the field. At the dome the front row is many yards away.
@@billcook4768 I heard some teams took credit for it but never had a definitive answer. An Earl Campbell touchdown, the delirious throng of Oiler fans all singing that song together, and the Astrodome scoreboard machinations were something, though, weren't they?
Brodie...check out the Plaza of the America's in downtown Dallas. Long time ago, I worked there. It's a few buildings put together by a covered...."domed" common area. It's done so well, it had (back the late 90's) and ice skating rink. I loved it. Same idea.
The 2013 proposal that was rejected by voters would have turned to 'dome into an ill-conceived, grossly oversized convention center in a city that already has an abundance of convention centers. If the proposal had passed, it was doomed to commercial failure.
Here's an idea, turn the seating areas into hotel rooms, the main floor into a water park and mini golf on the roof of the hotel, at least on one side and maybe a go kart track on the other. There would also be restaurants and other businesses on the ground level. You could even put a movie theater in there somewhere. Make it a vacation destination.
I actually wrote a paper on what to do with the Astrodome a few years back. At the time, i thought a waterpark or theme park would be great since Houston doesn't have a lot of family entertainment. It did have asbestos, among other hazardous chemicals, did someone actually remove it? Summer is brutal, building something with AC is welcomed. I'm not sold on a building in a building design. Sounds like a mall, and they're suffering right now. Houstonians have different opinions on what they want to do with it, hence bond failure after failure. Tearing it down was going to be tricky even if it passed because it sits very close to the active Texan football stadium; demolishing the Astrodome may damage the Texan stadium. It is in a high crime neighborhood, so that needs to be addressed. Idk, I just know it holds lots of memories for people, so tearing it down would be sad. However, it costs the city taxpayers over a million (can't remember the figure) every year to maintain and keep it to code; there is a concern for it to catch on fire. The water sprinklers and fire alarms need maintenance.
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I went to visit my friend in Houston around 1998...we went by the Houston Space Center, Galleria, and then by the Old Houston Astrodome. It was great to see that old icon of a place...much nicer looking than the Tropicana Field Dome in St Pete at the time. Glad to see the Houston Dome has possibities; its sad that the Oakland Coliseum will not be rebuilt after many years of remodel..
If there are hotels in the area, it would be a good space for medium-ish conventions. Think something like Comic-Con, trade shows and sporting contests. It could also be a good concert venue.
I always wanted to go to a game at the Astrodome. The closest I got to doing this was a work trip that brought me to Houston and I got to drive by it. 😭
Maybe make it into apartments. They did that to our old Triple A stadium here in Indianapolis, Indiana and it is pretty awesome! They have kept some of the history as part of the grounds and also the diamond! Think that would be pretty cool for people in Houston!
There are some major factors in favor of adaptive reuse that you didn't mention: 1) There's already a Metrorail station serving the NRG Park complex. 2) The entire complex is 350 acres, most of which is occupied by the world's largest surface parking lot at a staggeringly horrific 26,000 spaces. 3) Given that the structure is apparently sound, building buildings within the building seems excessive, unnecessary, and wasteful. 4) "Make no little plans, for they have no magic to stir men's blood." -- This historic landmark presents a perfect opportunity to create even more history as the centerpiece of a "second downtown" mixed-use neighborhood. All of those hideous parking lots should be converted into residential, office, retail, dining, entertainment, and parks. The parking needs of the future neighborhood and existing venues should be provided by modern parking structures with solar sheds on the top level and retail and office spaces on the ground level to create a vibrant streetscape throughout the neighborhood.
That's super awesome. When I watch movies set in the future or outer space, their buildings are encapsulated under a roof, so I think it would look futuristic for sure.
I would think a hotel inside it would be a great anchor with shops, restaurants and sights like the Gaylord Texan, something like a “Texas Live” that they have in Arlington at the ballpark. As well as offices and an arena- stage area. Lots of potential ideas. Only time I was in it was for AMA Flat track Motorcycle Races in February. Hope they can make it happen.
everyone mentions the football, the baseball and the basketball. they remember the rodeo and the concerts there. They forget for example...the Monster Truck Jams and tractor pulls for one. Super/Motocrosses for another. there were other things that went on there
It was used as the site for the Texas high school football state championships in the movie Friday Night Lights. This was after the Oilers left and possibly after the Astros left. It was an unused venue at the time but still serviceable.
I wish Candlestick could've had this same fate... Good on Houston to help keep the Astrodome alive and still serve people in Houston and the surrounding areas.
Astrodome was almost built in early 1960s in Portland but the city council said it was to big and not close enoung to downtown Portland where the Trail Blazers first played at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum right next to Moda Center.
Houstonian here. I wish I had a dollar for every development project that’s been floated over the years for the Dome. Would be nice if it could be realistically utilized in a permanent way but I’m not holding my breath.
It sounds like a great idea, but counting on the US Taxpayers for almost half of the funds is financially corrupt. Local governments have become addicted to federal grants. In reality, this means the federal government will borrow those funds. Taxpayers will be penalized many times over future years to pay interest. This is exactly what the new administration needs to reform.
I would love to see some football at the Astrodome, maybe not the Texans but maybe the Roughnecks could play there. There does seem to be a good amount of space in the concert setup render and it looks like it could fit a football field
Look at the Superdome. These 2 facilities are iconic. For $400 million the Superdome is totally remodeled and remains a hot venue. I grew up in Houston with the Astrodome. Like the ideas floated in the video. They can work and be highly successful.
And the locals are still paying for it... They can't afford to visit the venue. Everyone thinks these things pay for themselves, they don't, taxpayers do. And taxpayers don't get dividends from it being a successful venue. Let the people PROFITing off of these facilities pay for them. And don't give me some BS about bringing revenue to the city, they want more money every year, it never ends.
Lived in Htown for 20 years - saw the last year of the Oilers in there as well as many Astros games - I hope they do something to revive it - make it modern
Take part and turn it into a nhl caliber arena and take the other part and turn it into a MLS caliber stadium with grass tray that moves in and out for college football turf underneath.
Certainly if this project is approved and the intent is to have enough of its flooring be utilized for rodeo events then it would be large enough for other revenue events such as college basketball playoffs and a home for a professional hockey team!
The University of Houston Cougars played in the Astrodome, which I believe is what is shown in the video (they had red uniforms). The Houston Oilers played in the much larger 70,000-seat Rice Stadium and then moved to the Astrodome in 1968 (Astrodome opened in 1965). The basketball game was UCLA vs Houston, featuring Lew Alcindor (later known as Karem Jabbar) vs Elvin Hayes, and was one of the most famous college basketball games ever played, and one of only two loses during Alcindor's three years playing basketball for UCLA (during which they won 3 NCAA titles). That game was a sellout, so not sure at what point in the game that photo was taken, but obviously not all of the seats were usable in a basketball configuration.
One of the historical events you left out was the “Battle of the Sexes” when Billy Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in tennis. Just to give some perspective of the size of the building, a 22 story building could be built on 2nd base!
I have attended a game at NRG Stadium. I’ve also attended a game at AT&T Stadium and next to AT&T Stadium and adjacent to their new baseball stadium, they built an indoor entertainment complex, including Texas live specifically for fans attending games at those facilities. I don’t understand why you couldn’t do that at the Astrodome for games at NRG.
I have concept plans for a Wave Poll for swimming, surfing, kayaking and indoor park for children and dog. Using solar and wind generating system and rainwater collection. Sad thing is it's in an economically depressed area
My neighbor growing up was the stuntman who was always in the airplane they would crash through the roof of the dome during monster truck shows there! I got to crawl around inside that airplane for years because it sat in a small junk yard of sorts in a cow pasture next door to our property.
Brodie this is another fantastic video. The Astrodome has alot of charm, despite it's current situation. The fact that now it qualifies for $400 mil. in tax credits, should get the ball rolling, finally. Fingers crossed. I'm with you, that the buildings inside building idea needs some modofication,but the bones of the dome lend it to numerous projects, especially having it connect to NRG stadium. What will it take to get a final plan in place, and get the work started on refreshing the 8th wonder of the world?
Astroturf was not part of the original building. The ceiling tiles were transparent enough to let sufficient light to grow grass. But the glare from the ceiling tiles caused baseball outfielders to frequently lose sight of routine fly balls, causing ridiculous outcomes of games due to dropped fly balls, so they painted the ceiling tiles to reduce the glare, but still let some light in. But then the grass died with not enough light, and then they invented AstroTurf.
It would be nice for them to do something with it. It's been wasting away for far too long. I've been to plenty of Astros games and had season tickets for several seasons to the Oilers during the Earl Campbell years. Great memories.
House I grew up in was on hostoril list. Which, my foster parents were told that could not change the house on anyway, without following to the letter the same, brick l s their house was built with. In Savannah, GA they had to refurbish the old house there just as before, only use modern day things that match and won't be seen to change the integrity of the buildings.
At least The Astrodome has NRG Stadium adjacent to it as a destination that people would come to the area for an event. The district concept comes to mind and until then perhaps a Bass Pro Shop or an amusement park.
You bring up a VERY valuable point. All these pro teams want stadium villages built next to them, and the Texans have an ideal building, to do just that. Take the $400 mil. , have the Texsns throw in another $500 plus mil. And you get yourself a neighborhood.
![Dodger Stadium Construction Update [End of 2024]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BUSXXHKGAP0/mqdefault.jpg)
I say bring back Astro World and make it an indoor theme park. Houston does not have a single theme park, and lot of people say it’s too hot for one, so this could be a solution.
At this time, I feel the Houston crime rate regarding children makes it not a good idea.
Like a decade ago that was suggested but went no where.
@@CzechJamieI have no idea what you are talking about, but I have a bit of an idea what things Six Flags did wrong that let crime become a problem in the park which during the 70’s and 80’s was often used as a virtual daycare center by parents who would simply drop off their kids for the day.
I lived in Houston for 12 years and got to attend several Astros games there. It was a very underrated venue for baseball. Was a great place to watch a game.
Funny story outfielder often struggled in the first few years. Around this time the Astrodome actually had grass and it grew easily. But due to the outfielder issues they began to darken some of the pannels. The sideffect was that the grass died and they had to use astroturf.
After the very first exhibition series with the Yankees, the outfielders were having such trouble with the glare that they started painting the balls orange and bright yellow. This didn’t help so they painted over the skylights. They played pretty much the entire first year of the Domes existence on green colored painted dirt. Chem-grass had been developed in the off season and installed before season 2. Then chem-grass became known as Astro-turf!
Tons of rain, hot as hell with extreme humidity in Houston. The whole complex being under a roof and with AC, I think it would be a huge hit with locals and visitors.
If the inside is refaced with stone it can keep the building cool without the need for AC. Stones are natural heat sinks. Chimneys also allow hot air to escape since heat rises. Its not like Houston is at risk of earthquakes so using stone to build is a good idea. Trees are known to naturally cool areas also and changing the color asphalt to more pastel colors will further reduce the heat since the color black traps heat. AC units are known to increase the temperature of cities because they blow hot air outside.
@@Law19157 Sure, spend a billion dollars on a building that's not needed. There is no venue that needs the Astrodome. Make a stone building and pack it with 50,000 people and see if it says cool in Houston in August. LOL
@@Law19157 LMAO
@@TexanUSMC8089It's ok if you don't understand architecture or materials engineering but don't open your mouth in arrogance and pretend to know what you're talking about because you're making yourself sound dumb.
So glad they haven’t torn the Astrodome down. If there’s any place that should be home to a sports museum for Houston, it’s in that building. Not just for Astros and Oilers games, but the Battle of the Sexes between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, Houston-UCLA with Lew Alcindor vs Elvin Hayes, WrestleMania X-Seven. And that’s just off the top of my head.
I agree. Other sports venues need to be reused instead of just demolishing them.
Maybe a college could use the venue, like whate Georgia State did to Turner Field.
@@pwcorgi2000Georgia State is using the site of Fulton County Stadium for their baseball field
No need to worry about it happening any time soon. National Historic Sites can't be torn down.
@@pwcorgi2000No college in the area has a popular enough sports program. They'd all look really stupid playing to so many empty seats. UH is probably the biggest, but Tillman Fertitta would never let them move anywhere that wasn't named after him.
Yeah, I traveled to Houston to see the Aggies play many times in the early '90s. The Astrodome was also featured in the movie "Bad News Bears", a Walter Matthews best classic (imho), and my first memory of the building.
The Astrodome also hosted the University of Houston Cougars from 1965 to 1997.
and countless high school football and baseball playoff games. Got to play in the dome in the 90s in high school and it is a cherished memory.
On a visit to Houston in 1968 I was fortunate to get a standing room ticket to the MLB Allstar game.
If you add up the attendance from all those years. They could have sold out the dome maybe 10 times.
Don't forget the monster truck shows
The Houston Astrodome is where I told my now wife I loved her for the very first time. We've been married for 27 years now.
what event? please
I remember as a kid how much I enjoyed seeing the back ground light up after a homerun.
One of the greatest basketball games of the 60/70s was played in the Astrodome between UCLA (then Lew Alcindor) and UH (Elvin Hayes) in January 1968. The game was the first nationally televised NCAA baskeball game, and was played in front of a then record crowd of 52,000. UH upset UCLA 71-69, ending a 47 game winning streak.
I watched that game on TV. UCLA got payback in the NCAA semifinal with a 101 - 69 beatdown.
They repurposed the pyramid in Memphis into a huge Bass Pro Shop, with a bar at the top and a view of the Mississippi River and downtown Memphis. Plus they have a pond and some small streams and a hunting themed hotel rooms. That is a much smaller venue, but it is really a nice repurpose
Now if they can figure out what to do with the Mid-South Coliseum!
@@WickyWickerson I was in Memphis last year on vacation and visited the Pyramid, this is something that Houston should consider doing with the Astrodome.......and if Memphis wants to, they could do the same with the arena
@boilermaker2006 it's crazy in the Bass Pro/Pyramid how to rooms of the lodge overlook the store! We also have an old Sears Building that they have repurposed into a mixed use development with office space, apartments, a high school and retail, called Crosstown Concourse.
The project has also been largely a failure. And it used federal tax dollars.
That's many many times smaller. Maint on the Dome is so high that no company wants it. They all know it's a money pit. It's too big and too expensive.
I’m just glad the Fabulous Forum in Los Angeles survived, has been upgraded and remains a great venue to see a concert or other event.
PS - saw so many events at LA Sports arena now demolished and Santa Monica Civic now closed due to seismic risk.
Thanks for making this video! I'm a native Texan and a 30+ year Astros fan who saw his first ever MLB game (and pro sports event) inside the Astrodome. I was living in Houston when the 2013 initiative failed, so I've been worried about the Dome's long-term prospects since then. The Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, reportedly, doesn't support this plan and I fear that might be influential enough to kill it. Like you, I hope they find a way to preserve such a historic venue.
But I also wanted to write this because the saga of the A's and Raiders reminded me so much of the 80-90s politics surrounding the Astrodome, too. Like the Oakland Coliseum up until the mid-90s, the Astrodome was once a baseball-first facility. But in the late 80s, in an effort to keep the Oilers from leaving (i think for Jacksonville at the time), Harris County agreed to tear down the beloved Astrodome scoreboard and expand the building's seating capacity. A decade later, this concession to Bud Adams would prove itself a waste as he moved the Oilers anyway to Tennessee. Robbed of its ambience as a baseball park, the Astrodome would continue to age and see declining attendance. As the 90s wore on, Houston would come under threat of losing the Astros, too. This time, to bidders from Virginia. Luckily for those of us who love the city and the franchise, then-owner Drayton McLane wound up sticking it out and the success of the Killer B's era - along with the pain of losing the Oilers - led Harris County to approve a new referendum to finance what is, today, Minute Maid Park.
But for a moment, Houston was nearly a city that would go from having 3 pro franchises to 1 in less than a handful of years. I thought about this a lot as I've watched the saga of the Athletics play out on your channel and I greatly hoped the Howard Terminal plan would save them for Bay Area fans. I haven't commented on this before, but you have my condolences as a sports fan on the move of the team. I hope that one day MLB realizes its mistake and rectifies it with another franchise.
The renovations that took place in 1988-1989 included adding 10,000 seats, four exterior ramps (required to comply with the upcoming ADA of 1990,) a new scoreboard system (to replace the one they had to remove,) and 66 luxury suites.
Adding 10,000 seats increased the Astrodome's capacity from I believe around 52k to 62k. I believe the addition of 10,000 seats lifted the Astrodome from the smallest stadium in the league to 2nd smallest just ahead of the RCA Dome in Indianapolis.
The Astrodome was 25 years old when those renovations were completed. Unfortunately for everyone involved, those renovations didn't improve the playing surface. It didn't improve technology, it didn't improve infrastructure, it didn't improve the actual seats themselves, the restrooms, the concession stands, nothing. The difference between technology of 1990 vs. 1965 sadly was a helluva lot more drastic than say... 1999 to 2024.
By 1995, the Astrodome was 30 years old and significantly obsolete.
The saddest thing of all is that Houston gave Bud the middle finger and let the Oilers walk, then decided to build a new stadium less than two years after they walked out the door.
McLane was a scumbag. He was feeding Bob Lanier a lot of BS about the Dome being a top class facility, then before the Oilers were even out the door, he was threatening to move to DC. Don't forget that Les Alexander was also threatening to move to Louisville at the time. Houston almost found themselves like Oakland with ZERO.
Thanks for reminding me of all that. I still fondly remember the oiler’s fight 🎵 song.
I was a Bat Boy for the Astros 1974- 1975 seasons and I have many, many cool stories to tell about those seasons and the Astrodome itself, I would LOVE to see it repurposed for memory sake!
Also hosted Bad News Bears Championship game.
Can't believe he left out the most important moment in history.
The most important game in the history of Texas!!
LET THEM PLAY! LET THEM PLAY!
The movie "Brewster McCloud" was filmed there too in 1970.
I was hoping someone would post this.
This reminds me of Toronto with Maole Leaf Gardens. Not sure how familiar you are with that building but historical site cannot tear it down. The facade is the same but it’s a grocery store and eventhough there is an arena inside on upper level the lower level is amazing cause you are grocery shopping and if you go down one of the aisles the Maple Leaf Logo is on the floor where the Maple Leaf center ice logo was it’s pretty cool.
The only thing I would change is add like a remake of the old scoreboard that was in the Astrodome before it was remodeled to add seats. The citizens have to realize it is going to cost a pretty penny to revitalize the Astrodome. The longer people wait the more it'll cost.
There is an impasse to imploding the dome. The vibration would damage the 4 bldgs surrounding it. I am happy to hear there is another effort being made to save it. And, if they made the top floor small 300 sq ft residences, I would move in!
the Airconditioning is so far out of code now, it will need to be completely replaced.
I love keeping those skylights. Maintenance? Yes.
When hurricane Katrina hit and LA came here to shelter there, I was one of the volunteer RN’s there. And our act of kindness reaped much damage to the dome.
…just a part of the dome’s history forgotten.
For those of us who went to the Astrodome for multiple events of different types, we saw the problem with a baseball game, football game, the rodeo, etc. Nobody complained about lines of sight or anything else. We just had a great time.
This is basically what they did with the Millennium Dome in London. They took that huge indoor space and not only built an arena inside of it (The O2), but it's also filled with shops, movie theaters, etc...
In the last 20 years, shopping at a mall has dropped off dramatically. The Astros dome is way bigger than the Mall of Americas building in Minneapolis. Malls are dying all over the country. People are shopping online. No company wants to lease the Dome because it's too big, too expensive, and needs too much work.
The Pyramid in Memphis is a really cool Bass Pro Shop now that is basically a building in a building.
The Astrodome has survived so many hurricanes and is still standing. It deserves a 💜. You can't keep that dome down. It has more lives than a cat. 😮
It's the Chuck Norris of stadiums!
The concept sounds fantastic. I’ve been to the Gaylord Opryland Resort numerous times in Nashville and it’s amazing.
The Astrodome hosted WWF Wrestlemania 17 back in the day.
Oh, he was talking about real sports.
@@williamlangeii4012 dont ever talk down about that event
Main event was Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock for the then WWF title.
Appreciate how you have carved out a pro sports arena beat for yourself, Brodie! Great coverage!
Selfish me says possible hockey arena for Houston 😮
While I fully agree that Houston needs to get the next NHL team (either from expansion or a team move), I don't think a venue like the astrodome would lend itself to ....actually, as I was writing that, and listening to Brodie, I started to think that perhaps you are on to something.
They should make a smaller NHL/NBA sized arena _inside_ the Astrodome and just leave the top off. Let the Astrodome's roof keep the weather out but other than that, have a Roman Coliseum type arena right in the middle. That would be pretty cool and unique.
I think it’s way too big for hockey as well…
Absolutely too big, any true hockey fan knows that.
To all the naysayers in here, the Tampa Bay Lightning played a few seasons in what is now Tropicana Field, so anything is possible. It was called the Thunderdome for those few seasons before the Ice Palace (Amalie Arena) got finished where they play today.
This could end up like Seattle where the Kraken play, Climate Pledge Arena, which is technically the oldest arena in the NHL hosting the NHL’s newest franchise.
@@Mark-Stingray427The renovations wouldn't use the existing seating footprint but instead radically renovate the interior to fit a rink more appropriately with the rest of the stadium footprint including larger concourses, restaurants /bars/shops, and expanded club seating, offices spaces, etc. even possibly with a seperate "theatre" section.
I remember going on a tour of the Kingdome in Seattle in 1977 when it was almost new. The tour guide told us that it actually "rained' in the Astrodome when new because of inadequate ventilation, so care was taken not to have that happen in the design of the Kingdome.
My Dad took me to a baseball game at the astrodome when I was very young. I was absolutely amazed by the roof and the technology of the scoreboard. I was so young I don’t remember much else at that age, but it was an unforgettable event to see. The other amazing thing is that it was pouring rain outside.
I was in Minneapolis for a baseball game in the old Metrodome and had a similar experience. A bad summer thunderstorm come in around the fourth inning but the game kept on like nothing was happening outside. The storm was over by the time the game was over so that is one bennifit of domed stadiums where bad weather can happen during a sports season.
Mape Leaf Gardens in Toronto and The Forum in Montreal have had similar developments done on the inside of those buildings too
Even more federal funds may be available to designate the building as an emergency shelter for hurricanes. The Astrodome has seen many of them and still stands proud.
Absolutely! I can see it being used in hurricane relief efforts, parking for emergency vehicles, distribution of food and necessities, etc.
The velodrome from the 1976 Montreal Olympics was repurposed into the Biodôme, which is an indoor zoo/aquarium. That was a great repurposing of that venue, and it remains a must visit attraction in Montreal!
Learning how to build within domes can be valuable experience for colonizing space and hostile environments, where we'll have to build buildings within buildings to survive. And it would be fitting for some of that practice to come from a building named the "ASTROdome".
Honestly making it primarily for rodeo and high school sports seems like it'd be perfect. Maybe some sort of "Texas Heritage Bowl" for college football too. Basically turn it into the Houston version of that small stadium next to the Cowboys main stadium. Also make it similar to how North Wilkesboro Speedway was rebuilt. Do just enough to get it running and then make the upgrades after
How would that make enough money to pay the maintenance on the building? They would need to make a million dollars a month just to keep the doors open. Good luck.
Reminds me a bit of the Millenium Dome in London. They put an 18,000 seat arena and a shopping mall in there. Buildings inside buildings :)
Astroturf is nothing like field turf. Astroturf was thin and had no padding underneath. It is like a green carpet. Field turf is synthetic grass with padding underneath to capture the feel of a real outdoor grassy surface. Astroturf was more dangerous to play on than field turf.
You have to start somewhere.
Original Astroturf is the same stuff you can buy at your local home center/lumberyard. It has advanced over time like all products. The big problem with all these artificial turf products is that the buyers generally don't understand that there is constant maintenance required. It my area, many school districts are removing field turf and going back to grass because the maintenance costs end up being the same over time. We have plenty of rain and sun here. I understand that situations are different in other parts of the country.
Stadiums that had astroturf, had a layer of foam padding underneath it. The Kingdome in Seattle had at least a half inch layer of foam padding between the turf and stadium floor.
A later evolution of artificial surface. It was probably not thought necessary when the first iteration was made by Monsanto, as the primary use was for baseball.
Yep. Astroturf was green concrete.
Oddly enough it reminded me of the Memphis Pyramid with the Bass Pro Shop hotel inside an old NBA arena. There are other pretty well known instances of sports venues being turned into other things, though this could be the first NFL venue I can think of. Maple Leaf Gardens and the Montreal Forum have both been renovated to other uses.
I used to go watch the Houston Cougars play there when I was in medical school…. I saw David Klingler throw 10 touchdowns in ONE game there in ‘94 I believe….
How about worlds first Indoor Green Space. Houston needs more open parks and cool green space.
If the local taxpayers didn't want to save it, why should out of state taxpayers bail it out
It's a money pit. Federal money is not free money.
Exactly.
I share your sentiment about "out of state taxpayers," but I disagree with your assertion that "local taxpayers didn't want to save it." The 2013 proposal that was rejected by voters would have turned to 'dome into an ill-conceived, grossly oversized convention center in a city that already has an abundance of convention centers. If the proposal had passed, it was doomed to commercial failure.
Don’t forget it’s the primary location of Robert Altman’s “Brewster McCloud” lmao
I’d like to see them renovate the interior stadium to a capacity of 25,000-30,000 and use it for the MLS team.
It would be cool if they could do a retractable grass field like the NFL's Raiders and Cardinals - it would still give the Houston Dynamo and Dash a grass field with the benefits of a dome. There could even be a turf field underneath the soccer field for American football.
@ I don’t know if they can change the exterior too much with it being a landmark. Maybe they could do something like Real Madrid or Tottenham Hotspur and have the field move into a storage space with grow lights.
We have a stadium. Shell Energy Stadium is great.
Yeah Houston already has an ideal MLS stadium in an ideal location. I do like the idea though of turning the AstroArena into a parking lot and turning the Astrodome into it's current plans with the new AstroArena being inside the dome
@@TSSaloic Exactly. Why anyone would rather watch a game from the Dome is mind boggling. At Shell you are right on the field. At the dome the front row is many yards away.
"We're the Houston Oilers, Houston Oilers, Houston Oilers number one..." Great.
Stolen from the Dolphins; or was it the other way around?
@@billcook4768 I heard some teams took credit for it but never had a definitive answer. An Earl Campbell touchdown, the delirious throng of Oiler fans all singing that song together, and the Astrodome scoreboard machinations were something, though, weren't they?
Also ripped off from the Dolphins
And who can forget the Derrick Dolls!
@@thomasjoseph3488 Nothing like it before, or since!
Brodie...check out the Plaza of the America's in downtown Dallas. Long time ago, I worked there. It's a few buildings put together by a covered...."domed" common area. It's done so well, it had (back the late 90's) and ice skating rink. I loved it. Same idea.
The 2013 proposal that was rejected by voters would have turned to 'dome into an ill-conceived, grossly oversized convention center in a city that already has an abundance of convention centers. If the proposal had passed, it was doomed to commercial failure.
Also many a music concert in that dome.
Very similar to the O2 in London that was the Millennium Dome before being rebuilt inside
Here's an idea, turn the seating areas into hotel rooms, the main floor into a water park and mini golf on the roof of the hotel, at least on one side and maybe a go kart track on the other. There would also be restaurants and other businesses on the ground level. You could even put a movie theater in there somewhere. Make it a vacation destination.
I love your videos
come to houston rodeo next year and get a feel for the campus yourself!
I believe that the Astrodome also hosted the NCAA basketball Final 4 50 years ago or so. It was something else back in the day.
I actually wrote a paper on what to do with the Astrodome a few years back. At the time, i thought a waterpark or theme park would be great since Houston doesn't have a lot of family entertainment. It did have asbestos, among other hazardous chemicals, did someone actually remove it? Summer is brutal, building something with AC is welcomed. I'm not sold on a building in a building design. Sounds like a mall, and they're suffering right now. Houstonians have different opinions on what they want to do with it, hence bond failure after failure. Tearing it down was going to be tricky even if it passed because it sits very close to the active Texan football stadium; demolishing the Astrodome may damage the Texan stadium. It is in a high crime neighborhood, so that needs to be addressed. Idk, I just know it holds lots of memories for people, so tearing it down would be sad. However, it costs the city taxpayers over a million (can't remember the figure) every year to maintain and keep it to code; there is a concern for it to catch on fire. The water sprinklers and fire alarms need maintenance.
I went to visit my friend in Houston around 1998...we went by the Houston Space Center, Galleria, and then by the Old Houston Astrodome. It was great to see that old icon of a place...much nicer looking than the Tropicana Field Dome in St Pete at the time. Glad to see the Houston Dome has possibities; its sad that the Oakland Coliseum will not be rebuilt after many years of remodel..
Agree with the other commenters - that would be really cool as a hockey arena...follow in the footsteps of Seattle, but on a more Texas sized scale.
If there are hotels in the area, it would be a good space for medium-ish conventions. Think something like Comic-Con, trade shows and sporting contests. It could also be a good concert venue.
Played a high school playoff game there in 1983. Got a concussion from the crappy turf so I only remember warming up.
It's like an indoor mall. Nothing weird about building inside dome. Great idea hope it works.
Houston Aeros hockey arena. The Aerodome. Embrace the retro feel and you can create a Mecca for hockey
I feel like making GOOD ice in such a large building would be nearly impossible
I always wanted to go to a game at the Astrodome. The closest I got to doing this was a work trip that brought me to Houston and I got to drive by it. 😭
Maybe make it into apartments. They did that to our old Triple A stadium here in Indianapolis, Indiana and it is pretty awesome! They have kept some of the history as part of the grounds and also the diamond! Think that would be pretty cool for people in Houston!
Brodie has the best videos
Make an indoor theme park and name it astroworld like the old theme park
There are some major factors in favor of adaptive reuse that you didn't mention:
1) There's already a Metrorail station serving the NRG Park complex.
2) The entire complex is 350 acres, most of which is occupied by the world's largest surface parking lot at a staggeringly horrific 26,000 spaces.
3) Given that the structure is apparently sound, building buildings within the building seems excessive, unnecessary, and wasteful.
4) "Make no little plans, for they have no magic to stir men's blood." -- This historic landmark presents a perfect opportunity to create even more history as the centerpiece of a "second downtown" mixed-use neighborhood. All of those hideous parking lots should be converted into residential, office, retail, dining, entertainment, and parks. The parking needs of the future neighborhood and existing venues should be provided by modern parking structures with solar sheds on the top level and retail and office spaces on the ground level to create a vibrant streetscape throughout the neighborhood.
That's super awesome. When I watch movies set in the future or outer space, their buildings are encapsulated under a roof, so I think it would look futuristic for sure.
I would think a hotel inside it would be a great anchor with shops, restaurants and sights like the Gaylord Texan, something like a “Texas Live” that they have in Arlington at the ballpark. As well as offices and an arena- stage area. Lots of potential ideas. Only time I was in it was for AMA Flat track Motorcycle Races in February. Hope they can make it happen.
everyone mentions the football, the baseball and the basketball. they remember the rodeo and the concerts there. They forget for example...the Monster Truck Jams and tractor pulls for one. Super/Motocrosses for another. there were other things that went on there
Originally attended an Astros game in 1969 I’m from Alabama regular visitor had family there.
Astrodome was Awesome nothing like it back then.
It was used as the site for the Texas high school football state championships in the movie Friday Night Lights. This was after the Oilers left and possibly after the Astros left. It was an unused venue at the time but still serviceable.
That's how well built it is!
Currently working on a podcast episode about this for my company. This could open HUGE doors for small businesses seeking exposure!!
I wish Candlestick could've had this same fate... Good on Houston to help keep the Astrodome alive and still serve people in Houston and the surrounding areas.
Candlestick would have made a great outdoor toilet and drug emporium for the homeless given the current state of San Francisco.
Candlestick was set in this weird microclimate spot with horrible cold winds. I morn many old ballparks. Not Candlestick.
Astrodome was almost built in early 1960s in Portland but the city council said it was to big and not close enoung to downtown Portland where the Trail Blazers first played at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum right next to Moda Center.
Most people hate that new 49ers stadium because it has no cover and is in the sun, San Francisco Bay never gets as hot as the new location.
@@robinschell3175 LOL. Not sure about all of that
Houstonian here. I wish I had a dollar for every development project that’s been floated over the years for the Dome. Would be nice if it could be realistically utilized in a permanent way but I’m not holding my breath.
And you’re crazy if you think DOGE will approve federal funds for something like this anyway.
It sounds like a great idea, but counting on the US Taxpayers for almost half of the funds is financially corrupt. Local governments have become addicted to federal grants. In reality, this means the federal government will borrow those funds. Taxpayers will be penalized many times over future years to pay interest. This is exactly what the new administration needs to reform.
I would love to see some football at the Astrodome, maybe not the Texans but maybe the Roughnecks could play there. There does seem to be a good amount of space in the concert setup render and it looks like it could fit a football field
Look at the Superdome. These 2 facilities are iconic. For $400 million the Superdome is totally remodeled and remains a hot venue. I grew up in Houston with the Astrodome. Like the ideas floated in the video. They can work and be highly successful.
And the locals are still paying for it... They can't afford to visit the venue.
Everyone thinks these things pay for themselves, they don't, taxpayers do. And taxpayers don't get dividends from it being a successful venue.
Let the people PROFITing off of these facilities pay for them. And don't give me some BS about bringing revenue to the city, they want more money every year, it never ends.
Lived in Htown for 20 years - saw the last year of the Oilers in there as well as many Astros games - I hope they do something to revive it - make it modern
I saw both Oilers and Astros there as a kid. The two best annual events in the Dome were the Camel Supercross and the Rodeo.
Take part and turn it into a nhl caliber arena and take the other part and turn it into a MLS caliber stadium with grass tray that moves in and out for college football turf underneath.
Certainly if this project is approved and the intent is to have enough of its flooring be utilized for rodeo events then it would be large enough for other revenue events such as college basketball playoffs and a home for a professional hockey team!
The University of Houston Cougars played in the Astrodome, which I believe is what is shown in the video (they had red uniforms). The Houston Oilers played in the much larger 70,000-seat Rice Stadium and then moved to the Astrodome in 1968 (Astrodome opened in 1965). The basketball game was UCLA vs Houston, featuring Lew Alcindor (later known as Karem Jabbar) vs Elvin Hayes, and was one of the most famous college basketball games ever played, and one of only two loses during Alcindor's three years playing basketball for UCLA (during which they won 3 NCAA titles). That game was a sellout, so not sure at what point in the game that photo was taken, but obviously not all of the seats were usable in a basketball configuration.
The silverdome was the former home to the Detroit pistons also
Unfortunately, the National Register of Historic Places DOES NOT protect structures from demolition.
One of the historical events you left out was the “Battle of the Sexes” when Billy Jean King defeated Bobby Riggs in tennis. Just to give some perspective of the size of the building, a 22 story building could be built on 2nd base!
I have attended a game at NRG Stadium. I’ve also attended a game at AT&T Stadium and next to AT&T Stadium and adjacent to their new baseball stadium, they built an indoor entertainment complex, including Texas live specifically for fans attending games at those facilities. I don’t understand why you couldn’t do that at the Astrodome for games at NRG.
I have concept plans for a Wave Poll for swimming, surfing, kayaking and indoor park for children and dog. Using solar and wind generating system and rainwater collection. Sad thing is it's in an economically depressed area
My neighbor growing up was the stuntman who was always in the airplane they would crash through the roof of the dome during monster truck shows there! I got to crawl around inside that airplane for years because it sat in a small junk yard of sorts in a cow pasture next door to our property.
Brodie this is another fantastic video. The Astrodome has alot of charm, despite it's current situation. The fact that now it qualifies for $400 mil. in tax credits, should get the ball rolling, finally. Fingers crossed. I'm with you, that the buildings inside building idea needs some modofication,but the bones of the dome lend it to numerous projects, especially having it connect to NRG stadium. What will it take to get a final plan in place, and get the work started on refreshing the 8th wonder of the world?
I saw a post on reddit that suggested to turn the Astrodome into a short track for NASCAR racing similar to Bristol.
The Millennium Dome in London (wasn't a sports facility but had the large space and empty purpose) became the O2 Arena (now their main sports arena)
Used to have an exploding scoreboard in the outfield
I remember when they were selling the seats out of the stadium and they were also selling pieces of AstroTurf. 👍🏻👴
Luv Ya Blue!
Astroturf was not part of the original building. The ceiling tiles were transparent enough to let sufficient light to grow grass. But the glare from the ceiling tiles caused baseball outfielders to frequently lose sight of routine fly balls, causing ridiculous outcomes of games due to dropped fly balls, so they painted the ceiling tiles to reduce the glare, but still let some light in. But then the grass died with not enough light, and then they invented AstroTurf.
Interesting🤔 Thanks for the info.👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
They need to make the Astrodome a casino
That place is my childhood, I'd love to see it come back to life.
It would be nice for them to do something with it. It's been wasting away for far too long. I've been to plenty of Astros games and had season tickets for several seasons to the Oilers during the Earl Campbell years. Great memories.
This is up to the people of Houston to pay for, not someone in Nebraska.
Didn't Maple Leaf Garden in Toronto do something similar?
I'm ok with all this. Do want to see it in person in the near future!
House I grew up in was on hostoril list. Which, my foster parents were told that could not change the house on anyway, without following to the letter the same, brick l s their house was built with. In Savannah, GA they had to refurbish the old house there just as before, only use modern day things that match and won't be seen to change the integrity of the buildings.
At least The Astrodome has NRG Stadium adjacent to it as a destination that people would come to the area for an event.
The district concept comes to mind and until then perhaps a Bass Pro Shop or an amusement park.
You bring up a VERY valuable point. All these pro teams want stadium villages built next to them, and the Texans have an ideal building, to do just that. Take the $400 mil. , have the Texsns throw in another $500 plus mil. And you get yourself a neighborhood.