Plans to demolish Dome (Houston, Greenville: rentals, live in, floor)

[gsupstate]

Originally Posted by Schumacher713

Disrespect? It is a structure. Who cares if it is made into a parking lot. I don't care what they do with it. As long as we don't have to waste millions more into the stupid thing. I grew up in Houston and I have a lot of memories there. People act like the thing is the Eiffel tower. The thing is an eye sore. Tons of cities have torn down their stadiums and fields without all this save it crap.

This makes me sick to see Houston allow this to be torn down. The Astrodome isn't just "any" stadium. It was the FIRST domed stadium. For a time it was callled the "8th wonder of the world". It is an incredible piece of mid century engineering and architecture. It is the last thing Houston really has with "Astro" in the name, so heavily associated with the early space age. This stadium is historic and I can't believe every single person in Houston is not outraged that it will be torn down. This stadium should be protected at all cost.
And then, to add insult to injury and say they are going to place a memorial to the building they just took down???? Seriously? That is absurd on so many levels.

[PedroMartinez]

I have mixed feelings on this. Like it or not, it is a historic landmark to Houston and an engineering marvel of its time. I also don't want money wasted on it.

I kind of like the idea of converting it to a parking garage with a large "tailgating" section up top that is vented.

[Augiec]

C'mon now:
8th Wonder of the World - purely marketing material. The Empire State Building and Sydney Opera House are also considered "8th Wonders of the World."
Eighth Wonder of the World - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Historic landmark - It's a sports and recreation facility people.
Engineering marvel of its time - So was the wheel at the one point

I'd much rather have the greenspace.

[curbur]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Only logical solution = Turn it into a parking garage
Just a quick search and found Chicago's "Marina City Parking Garage"

Not a bad idea actually; have high rise residential or hotels above large parking garages.

[gsupstate]

Originally Posted by Augiec

C'mon now:
8th Wonder of the World - purely marketing material. The Empire State Building and Sydney Opera House are also considered "8th Wonders of the World."
Eighth Wonder of the World - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Historic landmark - It's a sports and recreation facility people.
Engineering marvel of its time - So was the wheel at the one point

I'd much rather have the greenspace.

I think it is much more complex than that. How Houston re-acts, and if it is torn down, says a great deal about the city and the character of the city. Houston has a spotty record on protecting historic structures.....look how downtown was blown up at one time and rebuilt....now very bland....hardly any historic buildings left in downtown. Historic structures from every era add quality of life to a city, IMO.
If the Astrodome is torn down, it will be a sad day.

[majicdonjuan]

Originally Posted by gsupstate

I think it is much more complex than that. How Houston re-acts, and if it is torn down, says a great deal about the city and the character of the city. Houston has a spotty record on protecting historic structures.....look how downtown was blown up at one time and rebuilt....now very bland....hardly any historic buildings left in downtown. Historic structures from every era add quality of life to a city, IMO.
If the Astrodome is torn down, it will be a sad day.

What use would you propose for it then?

As a native Houstonian, I for one (assuming the idea plays out as described) like the idea of a greenspace. The area around Reliant, in my opinion, is ripe for significant redevelopment and I think a high-quality greenspace could help spur that redevelopment. (Along with the Rodeo/Texans eventually letting go of the old Astroworld property when the price gets high enough.)

The Astrodome has a stadium that serves its only feasible purpose a few hundred feet away. What will be done with it other than what's been done with it the last 15 years or so? Absolutely nothing.

And quite honestly, there's nothing architecturally notable about a stadium type that's long been superseded and are now being torn down all over the country. Just because we had the first of this stadium type doesn't mean we need to maintain a shrine to domed stadiums like they are anything other than a sports venue design that most sports fans hate anyway. There's a reason that Minute Maid and Reliant were built with retractable roofs.

I love the Astrodome, but it's time has passed and this new plan is the powers that be FINALLY acknowledging that fact.

As others have said, this is not the Sistine Chapel we're talking about here..

[tstone]

Originally Posted by gsupstate

I think it is much more complex than that. How Houston re-acts, and if it is torn down, says a great deal about the city and the character of the city.

Character? More and more native Houstonians/Texans are being marginalized in their own town. This is not what it used to be even 10 years ago.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by 979Texan

I fixed this quote for you since you are seriously out of touch.
Originally Posted by Jack Lance
This is a ridicules proposal, they want to tear down a mid-century derelict structure that only rats and mold find inhabitable and replace it with something ALL visitors to NRG can use. And they want to spend 66 million on it as well..

I don't know if this is against the C-D TOS but don't mess with my quotes !

Originally Posted by 979Texan

The Texans and HLSR are open to helping pay for this. So far, no other "pie in the sky" renovation or new construction ideas have gone anywhere --- except deep down into the vermin-infested hole that is the Astrodome..

It is a "vermin-infested hole because the Texans and the HLSR have done everything they can to subvert any attempts to renovate the structure or even maintain it.

Originally Posted by 979Texan

I am not sure why I bothered to respond to this post at all, but I think it is pretty clear you have lost your grip on reality. I love it when City-Data nutjobs try to justify an opinion with some off-the-wall straw-man argument..

Personal insults and vitriol is what you reply with?

Please describe the strawman argument I am making ? I don't think you really understand what the term strawman fallacy means.

Originally Posted by 979Texan

Furthermore, the Astrodome is NOT some historical monument, despite whatever made-up heritage status the state/county/city tries to slap on this moldy beast.

Get over it, the Dome is not a Mayan temple or Great Pyramid. It is not the Eiffel Tower or palace at Versailles. Similarly it is not the Roman Coliseum or Temple on the Mount..

I think the Texans and the Rodeo released this so called "proposal" in anticipation of the State historical commission designating the Dome as a historical landmark. It smacks of desperation, and I like it ! lol

Originally Posted by 979Texan

I think the main point here is that Harris County, the Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo are the key stakeholders. Nothing else really matters.

The people of Harris county( I am one BTW) are the only stakeholders that I care about. The Texans and HLSR are mere corporations with their own self interest in mind. Personally, I think Houston, (Harris county) would be better off without either one. They both could be replace with the snap of a finger...

Again building a memorial to a building that you yourself knocked down is absurd, but I'm not worried about the building getting knocked down, that is not going to happen, so you keep spitting your "urban cowboy" venom all you want. I guess all those Urban Cowboys will just have to keep walking around the Dome to get in the Rodeo. See its all good, burning the extra calories will do them good....

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by Augiec

Engineering marvel of its time - So was the wheel at the one point

And if you had the original wheel in your garage, would you put it out on the curb to make room for your lawn mower?

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by majicdonjuan

What use would you propose for it then?

As a native Houstonian, I for one (assuming the idea plays out as described) like the idea of a greenspace. The area around Reliant, in my opinion, is ripe for significant redevelopment and I think a high-quality greenspace could help spur that redevelopment. (Along with the Rodeo/Texans eventually letting go of the old Astroworld property when the price gets high enough.)

The Astrodome has a stadium that serves its only feasible purpose a few hundred feet away. What will be done with it other than what's been done with it the last 15 years or so? Absolutely nothing.

And quite honestly, there's nothing architecturally notable about a stadium type that's long been superseded and are now being torn down all over the country. Just because we had the first of this stadium type doesn't mean we need to maintain a shrine to domed stadiums like they are anything other than a sports venue design that most sports fans hate anyway. There's a reason that Minute Maid and Reliant were built with retractable roofs.

I love the Astrodome, but it's time has passed and this new plan is the powers that be FINALLY acknowledging that fact.

As others have said, this is not the Sistine Chapel we're talking about here..

If we are going for the plaza greenspace concept I would pick the Eiffel Dome idea before this absurdity anyday. The Eiffel Dome plan would preserve the roof of the Dome and still give you open usable space.