By Matt Stephens
An Urban Land Institute advisory panel report has recommended Harris County turn the 50-year-old Astrodome into a massive indoor, multiuse park that could cost more than $242 million to construct.
The report, which was prepared by land-use experts during a five-day panel held Dec. 15-19, details a variety of improvements that could be made to the Astrodome. Suggestions include the creation of a new ground-floor park and event space inside the dome and 1,500 new parking spaces on the first two floors as well as the creation of additional event space and exhibition space within the structure.
Vacant since 2008, the Astrodome’s redesign could reuse the floors for a variety of programmable space, including expanding the game-day experience for the Houston Texans and providing new space for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, the report states.
The new-look Astrodome could also celebrate the history of its structure and the diversity of the city of Houston, the panel suggested.
“It’s gratifying to me to see that even a large group of experts from all across the nation recognized the Astrodome as the unique and beloved asset that it is,” Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said.
Commissioners court unanimously approved a motion March 31 to receive the report and return it to the corporation, which will come back to the court with an implementation plan. That plan will include possible funding avenues for the project.
Harris County Communications Director Joe Stinebaker said the HCSCC would review the recommendations and come back to the commissioners court with a plan.
However, a timetable for the planning and construction portions of the project is unknown.
“From what I’m hearing, the court wants to move pretty quick on this,” Stinebaker said.
In addition to a review of the plan itself, the HCSCC will consider financing options for the Astrodome plan, Stinebaker said, which could include historical tax credits, a tax increment reinvestment zone, philanthropy and private investments. The cost for this plan is still unknown but the ULI report suggests it could cost more than $242.4 million.
“If there were a significant investment from the county, it would almost certainly be put to a bond issue,” Stinebaker said.
Stinebaker said the ULI panel report cost about $120,000, paid for through HCSCC fundraising efforts. Money for the report came from the sale of mementos from the Astrodome, such as seating.
The ULI report and proposal is the latest initiative to determine how to proceed with the aging and vacant Astrodome.
In 2013, Harris County voters turned down a $217 million proposal that would have renovated the Astrodome into a facility that would host festivals, community events, sporting events and conferences.
