SHOWTIME IN HOUSTON: HOW CHERRY DEMOLITION SURE WOULD LIKE TO SMASH UP THE ASTRODOME The last year and a half has been “bleak” for the local demolition industry, says Cherry Demolition’s Mike Dokell. But he’s eager to get his hands on the big one: “Because the Rodeo/Texans can’t use it, and due to the building’s design and current condition, it would be nearly impossible to do anything with the structure. I say wreck it. And, yes, I would want to be involved in the project. Most probably, explosives would be involved in the demolition to some extent. But, there are many features of the structure that would have to be taken down conventionally. The eventual demolition of the Dome would be quite a show, and we at Cherry would love to be part of it.” [Houston Business Journal; previously on Swamplot]
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I hope it gets done. The Astrodome is creeping closer and closer to being a danger to people that go in it (hence not using anymore). There is no benefit from keeping it (especially since it hasn’t been maintained).
Much of the interior would have to be removed (chairs, signs, etc.). I’m sure salvagers would take them.
Rampant profiteering from destroying Houston’s history makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside..
It’s going to have to come down anyway and the contract will be bid out. Cherry is just making their pitch like any good businessman.
cm: Rampant profiteering? A demolition company being paid to render a service is rampnat profiteering? Should they do it for free because it is the Astrodome?
if NYC can tear down YANKEE STADIUM……
And Comisky (spelling?) in Chicago. Shea in NYC. Kingdome in Seattle. And Texas Stadium in Irving.
Prior to Hurricane Katrina, the owner of the Saints kept pushing to have the Superdome demolished. Fat chance now of it happening though….
Rampant profiteering from destroying Houston’s history makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside..
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Thank you. Let’s hope Cherry doesn’t have an in at City Hall. Times are tough even for demolition companies. Sure would hate to see the fire marshall go bypass the normal procedures again and just slap a “Condemned” sign on the Astrodome the way he did at Wilshire Village and Park Memorial.
People that believe profit is bad really need to live in reality.
There is no such thing as too much profit as long as someone is willing to pay.
The city will have not direct role in the demolition outside of approving the permit. The dome is property of the Harris County Sports Authority and the County.
If the city wants to condemn the building, they can, but the County still makes the final decision of how it’s coming down.
This is years overdue.. Please bring this place down and put a nice plaque in the new parking lot where it stood.. It’ll cost less in maintenance..
There is no such thing as too much profit as long as someone is willing to pay.
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Especially when the taxpayers are paying for it and can’t say no.
Party Time!
Having a demolition company tell you that the structure needs to be demolished is like having a pharmaceutical company tell you that you’re sick and need medicine.
Also, wouldn’t there be MORE profits to be made if we put some effort into coming up with a creative new use for the dome and put resources into a renovation?
Can you say conflict of interest? I bet even kjb can!
I’d trust someone with figures, if they made a case that it would be financially wise to just accept it is ready to come down, then I would accept that.
But just saying its old and worthless and lets blow it up for $$$, that’s the Houston way!!!
For ten points Matt can you also tie the discussion of the demolition of the Astrodome to your loathing of Southampton?
It may be worthless as a public venue/convention spot, but has SOME function if the city looked hard enough…
Hydroponic medical marijuana.
The city should have an event sort of like Jean Michel Jarre’s “Rendez-vous” spectacular in 1986. Lasers, fireworks, music, and the implosion of the dome as the final act. “Preferred vantage viewing” at, say, $100-200+ per person may not cover all of the expenses, but it would be a hell of show and a freaking awesome send-off for “the big pimple on the prairie”.
Tail gate party!
Sure. Let it get so bad that it needs major renovations to meet code. Then say it costs too much to do those renovations and is cheaper to tear down and build new. You see it all over Houston
I know it’s tempting to compare NYC and Yankee Stadium to Houston and the dome, but the Dome holds much greater significance to Houston’s history than Yankee Stadium did for New York.
For ten points Matt can you also tie the discussion of the demolition of the Astrodome to your loathing of Southampton?
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Read “in at City Hall” again. There’s my ten points.
I don’t loathe Southampton. I think it’s a wonderful neighborhood. It’s the attitude of the homeowners I can do without.
“WE are special.”
Not really.
I suspect a realistic olympic bid is likely out of the question monetarily speaking. And I personally care about the “good folks” in the demolition business about as much as the “good folks” at the developers that are clear cutting Spring/Klein/Tomball’s pine forests for add water and stir housing tracts. At some point we should acknowledge some history in this fine city, and even more pie in the sky start respecting what little of mother nature is left..
marmer, you’ve hit the nail on the head. It’s like telling folks you had to put your dog down because you starved it nearly to death. Any bystander would want to A) charge you with animal cruelty and B) make sure you’re never allowed to take care of a dog again.
The reality is Reliant stadium and adjacent buildings have made the Astrodome obsolete and no private enterprise has developed an ecomomically viable plan to utililze the structure. I do like wilf’s idea. Would the Rodeo and Texans get a percentage of concession sales?
From figures provided by the Chronicle a year or so back, the cost of demolition of the Astrodome would actually be so high that mothballing it for perpetuity would be the more fiscally responsible option.
At some point, contracts with the Texans and HSLR will come up for renewal…and when they do, the two most vocal NIMBYs for doing anything new or refreshing at Reliant Park will be silenced. Maybe then, someone will be able to forward a workable plan.
Bidding war! Whoever bids the most gets destroying rights and commercial right to use name “Astrodome” “big jobs are our speciallty” in their advertising.
Sihaya,
I’ll take B), please. Let’s not let the County or the city build/own any more stadiums.
If after all this time, there has not been an economically feasible plan presented to utilize the structure, then it’s pretty obvious the facility needs to be deconstructed. Even the cost of maintaining what is there now is a waste of money.
I certainly have many fond memories of the dome. When I first moved to Houston in 1980, I worked just down the road from the dome for years. I even took a bunch of Chinese workers that were visiting our company on a tour of the dome. However, there is no such thing as a bottomless pit of money (contrary to what the current administration in Washington wants you to believe) and the place has outlived it’s usefulness. Life is full of tough choices.
From figures provided by the Chronicle a year or so back, the cost of demolition of the Astrodome would actually be so high that mothballing it for perpetuity would be the more fiscally responsible option.
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Reality is that apart from the leaky skylights which were a problem from day one, it would be ludicrous to state there are structural problems. It was an architectural wonder. Built to last as they say.
Not to worry. At some point Lakewood Church may need more space….
This is directed at Matt Mystery’s last post about Lakewood Church needing more space. I think you might have conveniently overlooked or ignored the fact that if Lakewood does outgrow their current location at the former Compaq Center/ Summit and do take up residence at the Astrodome, being that they are a church all alcoholic beverage sales would have to be terminated immediately given it is a church and the TABC has very clear guidelines on that.
Oh I would imagine if the price was right, as in how quickly they could just dump it, county commissioners would see to it that rules were changed so that it wouldn’t affect the right to serve alcoholic beverages at the other facilities.
Although they might not have to. How many feet is it from the Astrodome to the other buildings?
If Cherry wants the show, let him retire the debt which is collateralized by the building. I understand that the debt is the real reason the Dome still stands. The taxpayers apparently afford the low, low monthly installments, but cannot retire the bonds without a bond referendum.
Maybe re-purposed as a big ICE facility?
Maybe re-purposed as a big ICE facility?
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Please. How politically incorrect. But it would make a nice “day labor” site.
The word “vultures” comes to mind…
There is no way that the Astrodome can be demolished. All of the electricity that that powers the Reliant Stadium and the Reliant Center runs underneath the Astrodome and if they were to explode it, then the electricity to these two spaces would be gone.
oooh Politics. This is the Astrodome we’re talking about: Yesterday’s Icon, Today’s Garage Sale.
PC is suspended.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Proposal-for-Reinventing-the-Astrodome/299333546760590
Ours is the best proposal for the Astrodome and all of Reliant Park. The proposal is alive and gathering steam as we present to groups and meet with supportive experts who are helping us with technical research and networking for fund-sourcing. Everyone who sees the details loves this master plan. And what’s not to love, with a new 90-acre sustainable green park to be built on the roof of new underground parking garages, solar on the dome roof and a spectacular, nowhere-else-on-earth tourist experience inside. Green space outside, outer space inside, and a new spaceship showroom as well. We will strongly oppose any effort to demolish this structure.