The Astrodome
Our Once Proud and Still World-Recognized
Eighth Wonder of the World
Born: April 9, 1965
Died: November 5, 2013
Rest in Peace
… and thank you, Houston voters, for once again showing up with your usual deep appreciation for unique world-class architecture and local history, as long as we don’t go back too far – or pass on the opportunity for creating more parking space.
Tags: a post-Astrodome loss catharsis of frustration, but our Houston appreciation for history simply stinks., nothing personal
The Pecan Park Eagle 
November 6, 2013 at 5:31 am |
Sad news but, then again, it’s sort of like when an Alzheimer patient passes away. Who they really were died much earlier. It died when Bud Adams moved away the Oilers and Drayton McLane wanted a downtown stadium. If you want to blame anyone, blame those two.
November 6, 2013 at 6:04 am |
It’s a crying shame that it didn’t pass, but I am not surprised. Houston is celebrated as the most culturally diverse city in America. More than ever before, people from all around the US and the world have transplanted here in hopes to indulge themselves in a bright economic future that our city has to offer. Whether these transplants have moved from across the pond, across the continent, or across the country, no one here seems to care about preserving Houston’s history.
As a native Houstonian, I’m tired of watching Houston hemorrhage; from the uprooting of our rail lines in the late 90s, to the castration of our space program, to missing out on an original shuttle after all we’ve contributed to the advances in the space program, to the Astros going to a league I refuse to recognize as “real baseball”, to the Texans own hemorrhaging, to the demolitions of several historic buildings downtown that were not “up to code” and now… to the death of the 8th wonder of the world, I feel like Houston has lost its sense of identity. How would Seattle like it if a bunch of transplants voted to take down the Space Needle for more parking space? How would New York like it if we leveled the Chrysler Building for a more modernized looking one? How would LA like it if… oh wait… LA produces nothing but destruction.
Did some native Houstonians vote down the dome? Absolutely. I know Michael Berry did. It probably wasn’t because they don’t care about the dome’s history or this city’s history, but in these economic times, it is impossible to persuade the public to vote on having $200 million of their tax dollars spent on renovations to resurrect a huge Ghost of Christmas past.
The city should have done something immediately after housing the Katrina evacuees in 2005 instead of letting it all go to hell. The evacuees tore that place up; walls defaced, feces on the seats, etc. No respect for offering a helping hand.
No respect… that seems to be a common theme around Houston nowadays. People I’ve personally encountered in the public are as cold and as passive as ever. They’re zombies. They spend their time in a fictitious world of TV and technology and when it comes time to be out in public, it’s all, “GET OUTTA MY WAY!”
Everyone is losing themselves in a dream world because the real world is crumbling around them. Look at what’s happening to our government. Forced healthcare… for the price of a car payment each month WITH subsidies? If we don’t do something to WAKE UP and stop this bleeding, stick a hammer and sickle in us all, because there’ll be no going back!
November 6, 2013 at 3:19 pm |
One more very important point I left out from this post last night:
It seems that our nation as a whole had more hope and promise for the future back in the 60s with the advent of putting a man on the moon and exploring space which MADE us “Space City”. Nowadays, we’re cancelling old dreams just to pay for mistakes we’ve made as a nation, like all these entitlements and foreign aid bills.
Where did we go wrong? What was the turning point? It’s all seemed to have faded to gray, and the gray is getting darker and darker.
November 6, 2013 at 12:44 pm |
Very well said, Neal. It covers everything I had to say.
November 6, 2013 at 12:50 pm |
I am not a native Houstonian or even a native Texan but I love Houston and Texas and that is why I choose to live here and this is a very sad morning. We can at least hope they leave a small memory of the Dome of where the Goal Lines and Pitching Rubber plus Home Plate all once stood. Then again that would be wasting a few parking sports – so sad. I understand times change but this was and still is a truly iconic building.
November 6, 2013 at 1:33 pm |
Makes me sad. I remember vividly my first visit to the Astrodome with my dear friend, the late Joe Niekro who was pitching for the Astros. My friends, Dennis Liborio, equipment manager of the team and my good friend Barry Waters who always met me at the loading dock made a visit to Houston very special. Enjoy your new parking spot Houstonians…..you have voted to destroy truly the eighth wonder of the World.
November 6, 2013 at 2:44 pm |
It all gets a bit too real for me, I understand what has helped our city get to this low point in it’s history. All a person needs to do is get in his or her car and take a nice drive through every corner of Houston and just look at who lives there. The only true Houstonians left are those of us that are over 60, the rest are just zombies walking around enjoying what someone else built for them. Unfortunately for them they have managed to build a few generations of nothing, it all comes back to home sooner or later. All of us are witnessing the complete fundamental change of our entire country, not just Houston. I don’t think words describe what I think about the elements that now have a vote in my hometown.
November 6, 2013 at 2:59 pm |
The number of voters turning out for the election was fairly standard for an off-year election, and the campaign for the Dome was listless and not very visible. The vote to approve a new jail facility, which was very high on the list of priorities for the city and county governments, passed by a very small margin. Raising taxes, however slightly, is an uphill battle, as indicated by a similar vote in Colorado. Don’t despair.
November 6, 2013 at 3:15 pm |
As a native Houstonian, I am continually amazed by the short sightedness of our citizens. The get rich and leave mentality is prevalent still. Nothing old is of value and history is simply for the old. The instant gratification of the young is prominent. Hit the button on the video controller and blow it up. We can only hope now that private money will step in and save the day.
November 6, 2013 at 3:20 pm |
as much as I would have liked to have seen the Dome saved, I think it was going to be a question of throwing good money after bad. Private developers showed little interest and in this economic climate I don’t think voters saw any tangible benefits to spending public money on something that would likely have cost considerably more than $217 million. I saw more than 200 ball games at the Dome and enjoyed it every time though it was never a great ball park. Another problem is that part of the city never has developed as many hoped it would when the Dome was built. I also have to agree that there was not a big PR push to save the place. and in Texas especially, people are going to do everything they can NOT to see their taxes increase. remember back in 1998 when they held the non-binding referendum to create a sports authority to finance the new Astros park it barely won. Best I think we can hope for now is that the county hires Steiner Sports Marketing to take over selling the seats and what’s ever left.
November 6, 2013 at 5:32 pm |
Houston Colt .45s pitcher Jim Umbricht, who died on April 8, 1964, was cremated and his ashes were spread by plane over the new construction site of the Astrodome, so that the future ballpark would serve– as his family wished–as his headstone. Apparently from now on, those who wish to pay their respect on September 17th or April 8th will have to stand in the middle of a parking lot.
November 6, 2013 at 6:45 pm |
I’m not a native Houstonian, but I’ve lived here for the past 21 of my 47 years now and consider Houston to be my hometown. I loved and appreciated the Dome long before I moved to Houston – I vividly remember watching on TV as the Luv Ya Blue-era Oilers shut out the Steelers 6-0 in an epic, hard-fought Thursday night game at the Dome more than a decade before I moved down here. I also can appreciate the history of any town or area.The problem, as has been expressed by some of the other commenters here already, is that many people who have come to Houston don’t feel the same way (and I’m sure that’s not a phenomenon that is unique to this city).
These days, everyone is simply out for the almighty dollar, no matter where they live. “Let’s turn the Astrodome site into another parking lot – just think of the revenue it will generate,” people yell. Well, the Dome could have generated revenue and provided a landmark that people from all over the world recognize.
Still, there is plenty of blame to go around. The Dome should never have been allowed to fall into such bad disrepair. If we still had visionary leaders in Houston – leaders in the vein of a Judge Roy Hofheinz – then plans for the use of the Dome would have been made and approved long ago. As it is, the handwriting has been on the wall for some time now; it is quite obvious that the Dome was allowed to decay so that people could not object to its destruction. The Texans and the Rodeo blocked many viable plans for the Dome that had been proposed at earlier dates because they were afraid they might lose some precious dollars. Thanks, Texans and Rodeo, for not being visionary enough to try to make such plans work for everyone, including you. Thanks to the city of Houston, as well as Harris County and the surrounding counties, for not being able to come up with a truly good system of public transportation that would include both light rail and buses to take people to destinations throughout the greater metro area. Due to the lack of good public transportation with a wide coverage area, we have both the traffic congestion that we see on our freeways and the clamor for more parking, since everyone wants to take his own vehicle to get to his destination.
The failure to save the Dome is merely another reflection of the failure of our civic leaders to truly lead. All that we have left to do now is to listen to said leaders lament the passing of the Dome while extolling the situation as progress. Of course, they’ll also tell us we should be thankful that their leadership has made such progress possible.
November 7, 2013 at 12:04 am |
Still too many not looking at the matter from the historical standpoint so I guess there was no way the prop could have passed. History simply has little relevance any longer. Two movie tickets is all passing the prop would have cost most Harris County residents…Oh well…time marches on and few have any interest in the past. Fewer had any real knowledge of the plan the $217,000,000 represented. It was a good plan folks, believe me.
November 7, 2013 at 3:26 am |
And now, what happens to the Dome? Is it to be destroyed and thrown away and forgotten? Doesn’t History mean anything to anyone in Houston? The Astrodome was known all over the World! It was soooo unique and so far ahead of its time!
I am so sad—–I remember the excitement that I felt the first time I saw the Grand Old Lady! And then, when I went inside, I couldn’t believe what my eyes were showing me—–Such a sight of pure wonder! It brought us so many memories to treasure for the rest of our lives and it seems to me there should be Someone to find a use for the Grand Old Girl and dress her up in the manner to which she was accustomed!
November 7, 2013 at 4:36 am |
I feel your pain. I wish someone would start a “Save the Dome” fund. I’d gladly contribute. If the people don’t want to pay for it in taxes, maybe the dome can gather enough monetary support from those who voted for it along with those who no longer live in Harris County who COULD have voted for it. People outside of Houston are outraged by this! If Paris decided to demolish the Eiffel Tower (not that they EVER would!), wouldn’t you feel compelled to contribute to save such a piece of architectural wonder? I would! I’d like to remain optimistic.
A total of 111,888 people voted to keep the dome… there are a LOT more than 111,888 people that voted for saving the dome. $217 million into 111,888 people makes $1939.43 per person… that is a lot of money, but I’m more than sure that there are more than 111,888 people who want to save the dome. I bet even some of those who voted against Proposition 2 would even want to donate but take a “leave government out of it” stance. (Nothing wrong with that; I’m that way, but I made an exception for the dome.)
She doesn’t have to die. As long as she’s still standing, we can save her. Someone just needs to get something started and soon. I hear Miley Cyrus wants to come to Houston in 2014 to promote her “Wrecking Ball” themed concert… I’ll be damned if that b*tch uses OUR DOME to boost her selfish intentions!
November 9, 2013 at 2:42 pm |
Just a few comments, not particularly well flushed out. Count me as one who would’ve loved to see the Dome renovated in some meaningful way. However, I live in Travis County. I couldn’t vote on Prop 2. Many of those of my age group (early 60’s) who grew up in the Dome don’t live in Harris County anymore. If they’re in the Houston area, they’re in Montgomery or Fort Bend and couldn’t vote either. I’m sure I left more money in Houston at the Dome than a good 75% of those living in Harris County (someone fact proof that statement). My guess is the vast majority of those with nostaligic thoughts of the Dome didn’t vote. This was an off year election where only the passionate show up which is heavily conservative and anti-tax (though Parker was re-elected which seems to counter that point). I think it’s bad circumstance and I feel bad about it, But sports venues nowadays subsidize the rich (and they did when the Dome was built, too). This vote symbolizes another broken connection to our past, to our families, and to our culture. But all of those are disappearing in a society that not only condones out-of-wedlock children but encourages them through it’s welfare, educational, and mass media. But that’s an editorial for another day.