The Short History of the Astrodome

THE SHORT HISTORY OF THE ASTRODOME The Astrodome’s electricity was cut off today after a small transformer fire broke out in a vault on the stadium’s east side. After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters used fans to escort a domeful of smoke out the exit ramp. [MyFox Houston; previously on Swamplot] Photo: MyFox Houston

12 Comment

  • Just lovely; one more reason for those who want it torn down, though i suppose Yankee stadium is gone and soon will be the dome. I still remember from the movie 2010, Roy Schneider saying the best hotdog in the world was a dome-dog. The dogs sucked, nachos were the best though, and the astros haven’t played there in almost 11-12 years..

  • No doubt, a fire set by the county commissioners whose willful neglect is the reason why the Dome is in its current state. If only they could have figured out way to skim millions out of it for themselves and their cronies. Too bad Houstonians are too lame to give a damn. Soon to be a city with no visible history, but plenty of, um, freeways, WalMarts, and strip centers. Yee Haw!

  • First time I’ve heard about fans at the Astrodome in a long time…

  • Ha! I vote for comment of the day for iah/pdx.

  • From iah/pdx:
    First time I’ve heard about fans at the Astrodome in a long time…
    .

    Good point that!
    What was going on there?

  • I heard that some kid got in the dome and started flying around using an elaborate set of mechanical wings. He kicked off the fire when he hit the lights at the top of the dome, triggering a transformer blow out.

  • Implode the damn thing! The County is losing millions of dollars a year from it just standing there and rehabilitation is a waste at this point. Hell, it was a waste 15 years ago.

  • If the old Rice Hotel can be brought back to life, so can the Astrodome. I hope something can be done with the dome other than tearing it down.

  • So this is Ed’s plan? Matches and gasoline?

    Oh well.

  • I understand we still owe money in it and it cost something like $4 million a year in upkeep. Yet in it condition it can not be used.

  • It’s easy for people to say it should be saved, but coming up with a way to make it financially viable is not so easy. Anyone can suggest that we turn it into a shark tank, a hotel or a biodiversity lab, but they can’t show how it will make money or even break even. The process of finding an alternative use for it has gone on long enough. I’m tired of my tax dollars paying for an old building that needs to be removed.

  • Arson- disguised as an electrical short- now it’s truly “unusable” McNair, Eversole and their buddies can’t wait for more parking next to “Reliant Stadium” How ironic that the Astrodome is now called “Reliant Astrodome” and suffers from an “electrical fire”. Lame.