BOLD NEW CONCEPT FOR ASTRODOME TO EMERGE FROM DALLAS CONSULTANTS CONDUCTING FOCUS GROUPS, INTERVIEWS WITH BIGSHOTS 
A Dallas-area consulting firm known for its consistent recommendation that cities expand their convention space is expected to come up with a plan for what Houston should do with the Astrodome — before the end of the year. Willie Loston, who as executive director of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp. has spent the last decade mulling over one proposal after another for the vacant facility, tells West U Examiner reporter Mike Reed that whatever the folks from Plano-based Convention Sports and Leisure propose “will resolve one of the thorniest issues involving public expenditures in Harris County.” Best of all: Loston says the new recommendations will somehow emerge from “50 to 75 interviews with education, community and business leaders, before moving on to focus groups.” Why hadn’t someone thought of this sort of approach before? The consultants’ $500,000 fee is being picked up by the Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Houston Texans, the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, Aramark Corp., the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, and Harris County. [Boston.com; West University Examiner; previously on Swamplot] Photo: Candace Garcia
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Put it down! Can’t you see that it’s suffering? I have very fond memories of Astros games and monster truck rallies in the dome, but let’s all face reality and make peace with the fact that there is nothing you can do with that building that makes any kind of sense, and as monuments to former glory go, it is an increasingly expensive and pathetic one. We need to let it go.
From what I’ve read, it would cost more to tear down than it does to maintain.
Dallas? Not even Dallas, these consultants are from Plano! I can not believe that we couldn’t find that kind of talent here in Houston.
I really hope they don’t do another convention center. That’d be a huge disappointment for what used to be called The Eighth Wonder of the World.
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I’d rather they turn it into a monument-museum for the two lost Space Shuttle missions: Challenger and Columbia. Give NASA a chance to acknowledge this City’s central place in the Shuttle Program; AND save the Dome.
It is stunning that no one questions or holds accountable the board of directors that is responsible for the Astrodome and Reliant Park. Why are they never interviewed or even mentioned? The Board of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation makes recomendations to the County Commissioners and have been dragging their feet and derelict in doing what is in the best interest of taxpayer money in regard to the Dome. They have been fiscally irresponsible for years and now they embarrass Houston by hiring a Dallas firm to tell Houston how to do its busdiness. This is shameful. I am assuming these guys get paid to do this which so far has amounted to only throwing more money at the problem as usual. I’ve been to thei board meetings
I’ve been to some of their board meetings and anything that is important they will move behind closed doors for an Executive Session. When they return to the room, attendees are usually left clueless about what was discussed or decided. It is this Board of Directors, of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, that needs to be held accountable for 1) what happens to the Dome and 2) for how the property has not been maintained in the first place so it could be safely occupied and thereby able to produce some sort of revenue and 3) for lack of transparency and fiscal irresponsibility.
The Dome has turned into its own industry…
… from what I understand – the Dome sits just a few feet over the largest water main exchange in the city. – therefore the Dome can not be imploded for fear of crashing the water supply – it has to basically be dismantled piece by piece. Expensive.
GEEZ HOUSTON- WAKE UP! Houston is the largest city in this country that has no identity / soul
One of the reasons Houston did not get a shuttle is because ***people don’t vacation here,**** ad why would they, to shop at the Galleria?
Here is a chance to take something historically important an preserve it into something interesting that people want to come and see, and locals can be proud of.
Why not turn the Astrodome into a top notch entertainment facility under the dome. Locals coming to see the Texans can spend the day eating and going to bars that promote our teams — inside is also a hotel for guests that come to Houston to see the Texans , or the ROdeo. Out of town games… big party in the dome.
Make the investment, save the dome, get everyone talking about it-improve the image of the city.
Why not make it the Texas UIL high school game of the week showcase for football, basketball, baseball? I see more and more high school sports being broadcast on ESPN… You could do 1A on Mondays, 2A on Tuesdays, 3A on Wednesdays, 4A on Thursdays, and 5A on Fridays.
@ J Britt, if there is a tangle of water mains under the Dome, it’s a secret, because it’s not on the City of Houston maps that Public Works uses to track that sort of thing.
Yankee Stadium, Shea Stadium, Kingdome, Tiger Stadium, Ebbets Field, Texas Stadium, Giants Stadium, RCA Dome, Riverfront Stadium, Veterans Stadium, Wembley, Three Rivers Stadium, Orange Bowl, Boston Garden.
What do these have in common? All former sports stadiums with just as much or more history than the Astrodome and they’ve all been torn down. It’s time to join the rest of the world and put the Astrodome on this list.
Why do we need a “focus group”. Everyone knows the highest and best use for the building is a casino. Let’s put Louisiana out of business!!!!!!!
ROLLER SKATING RINK!!!! I SAY ROLLER SKATING RINK….. WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
I think we should leave it as is. Houston needs ruins.
I’m still liking the idea I heard awhile back about turning the dome into a huge parking garage and then using the existing surface parking for something more productive. Maybe run some more roads through the area and turn it into an actual neighborhood? I think that would make it a much nicer place to visit. . .
I want it to be turned into an indoor park.
I say re-skin the entire structure in glass and make it the world’s largest Apple store.
How about the 350 million in bond debt, that the morons forced upon the taxpayers, and why aren’t these politicians and civic leaders in jail?