County to further study Astrodome proposal

Photo Courtesy Reliant Park

On June 25, Harris County commissioners heard a proposal about the potential next steps for the Astrodome, which was deemed unfit for occupancy in 2009.

A proposal to repurpose the Astrodome will be further reviewed by Harris County after it was formally presented to commissioners court during a June 25 capital improvements meeting.

The proposal will be sent to the budget office for a financial analysis, while the county attorney's office will study the legality and potential timing of what deadlines would need to be met to place the item on a potential ballot for public approval.

"If there is a bond, there will be a tax," said County Judge Ed Emmett. "Everybody needs to understand that, but the level of that tax right now is still undetermined."

Approved June 19 by the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, the $194 million proposal calls for renovating the Astrodome and turning it into a facility for large events, which could range from conferences to sporting events to festivals.

If the plan comes to fruition, the facility's interior would be cleared to create a 350,000-square-foot open space, and the floor would be raised to street level. Outside, the building's ramp towers and ticket windows would be removed, and an exterior streetscape and green space would be created.

"The new Dome becomes the center and the centerpiece of Reliant Park," said Edgar Colon, chairman of the HCSCC board. "In other words, the recommendation takes advantage of the dimensions and volume of the Astrodome to transform it into a flexible venue that is compatible with existing and future activities held at Reliant Park."