Chron advocates saving the Dome

On Sunday, the Chron editorialized in favor of keeping the Astrodome.

The county spends $1.5 million a year simply to maintain the Astrodome in its largely unused state. That is an untenable situation that cannot extend indefinitely.

County commissioners are eager to turn the Astrodome into a steady income producer. Commissioners Sylvia Garcia and El Franco Lee have called on the parties to sit down and negotiate their differences. "I would rather see the Texans and the rodeo make a good faith effort toward what works and creating a revenue generator at the Dome," Lee said. "That's the way to go, rather than for the Texans and the rodeo to make the presumption that it won't work and stonewall."

Astrodome Redevelopment officials indicate they are willing to work out an agreement to compensate the rodeo and the football team for a share of revenues lost on game days and during the rodeo season. That should be a starting point from which to negotiate other issues. Both the Texans and the rodeo have been essential elements in the successful development at Reliant Park. Their concerns must be fairly addressed in a transparent process that respects their legal rights.

At the same time, those organizations must realize that they are tenants at a publicly owned complex, and county officials will have the final say on what happens to the Astrodome. If the county commissioners decide to proceed with the hotel proposal, the Texans and the rodeo should make every effort to reach a satisfactory settlement of their differences.

The last thing citizens want is a legal fight pitting the county against a charitable organization and a pro football team, with the future of the Astrodome hanging in the balance.

I confess to having some complex feelings about this. On the one hand, I favor preservation, and I'd be as sad as anyone to see as iconic a structure as the Astrodome get torn down. I'd like to see someone rehabilitate the place. I have no idea how likely to succeed this hotel/convention center thing is - there's plenty of evidence to suggest it's a boondoggle, but hey, at least it'll be private investor money. As long as the county doesn't get put on a bigger hook than what it's on now for Dome maintenance, I don't see the harm in letting the Astrodome Redevelopment folks have a shot at it. Surely the Texans and the Rodeo can come to some agreement with them that protects their interests.

On the other hand, this all feels like delaying the inevitable. I also have to wonder just what exactly it is we're trying to preserve here. The Astrodome as we know it is already gone because it's not being used for its original purpose, and it's not going to be used for that purpose ever again. Does the structure have inherent value in the way that the Alabama Bookstop and the River Oaks Theater do? Maybe, but that never seems to be the argument anyone makes - it's all about what used to happen at the Dome, and the memories that were created. It would be one thing if we were talking about turning the site into a museum, but we're not. I don't quite see how any of those memories will translate to the redeveloped Dome, other than it still being shaped like the Dome from the outside. If we accept the argument that a hotel/convention center on that site makes sense, then is renovating the Dome the best way to do that? What does recycling the building get for us?

I don't know. The basic argument for preservation boils down to "they don't make 'em like that any more", and that's as true for the Dome as it is for the Alabama/River Oaks Theaters. I don't quite feel the same way about the Dome, though, and I'm trying to figure out why that is. What am I missing?

Posted by Charles Kuffner on November 19, 2007 to Elsewhere in Houston