Houston’s Astrodome, the world’s first indoor stadium (and home to the Astros from 1965 through 1999), is celebrating its 53rd birthday on April 9. To mark the occasion, a free public event, co-hosted by the Astrodome Conservancy and Harris County, will give Houston sports fans an opportunity to visit the venerable Dome before experiencing its next incarnation.
The conservancy is creatively calling it a “Domecoming.” There was a similar party back in April 2015 for the Dome’s 50th birthday. At that time, the future of the stadium (that also hosted the Houston Oilers NFL team for many years) was still very much undecided and hotly debated.
Related: Astrodome Turns 50: Hats Off to the Grande Dame
Longtime proponent of re-purposing the Astrodome, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and the conservancy’s chair, Phoebe Tudor, are both scheduled to speak on the next chapter for the Dome at the event, according to the Houston Chronicle. The event will also feature music and entertainment and the original AstroNuts, a field box-roving Dixieland quartet that entertained fans between innings during Astro games beginning in the mid-1960s.
Related: The Astros’ Mascot History (Including AstroNuts and other entertainers)
“The Astrodome Conservancy is going to help us ensure that the Astrodome is no longer just an unused county building housing only memories and equipment,” Judge Emmett said in a statement issued March 20. “Going forward, the Astrodome will once again be a proud centerpiece of NRG Park producing revenue and badly needed public event space.” NRG Park is a system of entertainment venues that includes the so-called NRG Astrodome, as well as the adjacent home to the NFL Houston Texans, NRG Stadium.
Harris County (which includes Houston) is spending $105 million to renovate the stadium.
The plan’s cost proposes the design and eventual construction of a project that would raise the ground level of the Astrodome two floors to fit in approximately 1,400 parking spaces, and transform the former Eighth Wonder of the World into a venue for festivals and conferences. Other commercial uses may eventually be found for the more than 550,000 square feet that surround the dome’s core.
Construction is expected to begin in October 2018 and end in February 2020.
Related: This Year’s Model: Astrodome Gets Full Speed Ahead Vote For Future Use
“The Astrodome is an important landmark to Harris County and Texas, and is part of our unique culture,” Ms. Tudor said in her statement Tuesday. “Our mission is to preserve its legacy and creatively engage Houstonians at the Astrodome once again.”
Also, it was announced March 16 that the Dome will be designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, the highest honor the state can bestow on a historic structure. The state agency approved the stadium’s designation in January among 172 new historical markers across Texas for 2018.
Related: Astrodome Gets New Life + Her Brave Katrina Heroism
Longtime Houston Astros fans remember the countless years when annual triple-digit losses kept Astros caps and t-shirts hidden deep in our closets.
Now, Astro-bling of all types can be seen by just walking around Texas! The Astros' goal for 2020? To re-visit the magic of '17 and find a finger for championship ring #2!
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