Search Results for: astrodome

Waiting to hear about New Dome financing

Posted on July 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Just a reminder that the process is still in progress. Two weeks ago, the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation presented its vision for a 194 million dollar project dubbed THE NEW DOME EXPERIENCE. It included turning the inside into … Continue reading →

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Interview with Willie Loston

Posted on June 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Willie Loston is the Executive Director of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, which is the not-for-profit company that operates and maintains the public facilities at Reliant Park, including Reliant Stadium and the Astrodome. It was the HCSCC that … Continue reading →

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More on the rejected Dome ideas

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron pays some attention to the 19 ideas that were submitted to the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation for what to do with the Astrodome. Willie Loston, executive director of the Harris County Sports and Convention Corp., said … Continue reading →

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More on the New Dome Experience

Posted on June 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron’s subscription site story adds some more details to the news about the New Dome Experience. [Harris County Judge Ed] Emmett said that if the court signs off on the plan next week, it likely would ask the county … Continue reading →

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The New Dome Experience

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Behold: If the future of the Astrodome has been keeping you up at night, you’ll rest easy knowing that a major step was taken in favor of preservation at a board meeting on Wednesday afternoon: The Harris County Sports & … Continue reading →

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So many Dome ideas

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation has plenty of material to work with as it prepares to make a recommendation to Commissioners Court about the Astrodome. Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. staff will spend the next week evaluating … Continue reading →

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The Texans and the Rodeo will have their say on the fate of the Dome

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s this little matter of their lease agreement to deal with. Five years ago, Harris County appeared on the brink of striking a deal with a group of entrepreneurs to turn the Astrodome into a 1,300-room hotel and convention center, … Continue reading →

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Big week for the Dome

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This week things start to get real for the Astrodome. Monday is an important deadline for those who are determined to save the historic Astrodome, as private firms turn in renovation proposals to the Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. … Continue reading →

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The fault lies not with Commissioners Court

Posted on June 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Chron columnist Ken Hoffman fired a shot in his Sunday column. What to do with the Astrodome? It’s had its day. Let it go before it becomes even more of an embarrassing money pit. Dump the Dome! M. Meagher, Houston … Continue reading →

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It’s about use, not just sentiment

Posted on June 4, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

NYT reporter Jere Longman, who hails from Houston, penned a love letter to the Astrodome after hearing about its possible impending demise. So it was despairing to hear that the vacant Astrodome might be torn down and its site paved … Continue reading →

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Making San Antonio more musical

Posted on June 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

San Antonio is a little jealous of Austin, it seems. Tired of San Antonio playing second fiddle to Austin when it comes to a live music scene, Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff on Friday laid out ambitious plans to change … Continue reading →

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Does the Super Bowl doom the Dome?

Posted on May 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Texican ponders what the announcement about Houston landing Super Bowl LI means for everyone’s favorite unused arena. So what does this mean for our Dome? A parking garage would be an ignoble end for the Dome, though I am … Continue reading →

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Florida’s failure to be insane is our gain

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good news if you’re rooting for Houston to host Super Bowl LI. Houston’s bid for Super Bowl LI received a major boost Friday when Florida lawmakers ended a 60-day legislative session without approving a plan that would have provided a … Continue reading →

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The emotional Dome decision

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody really wants to tear the Astrodome down. That in a nutshell is why the process to determine what to do with it has taken so long even though there aren’t any viable alternatives to demolition at this time. A … Continue reading →

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Someone will do something sort of soon about the Dome

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t be more specific than that. While Houston’s Super Bowl Host Committee continues its bid to win the vote for Super Bowl LI, the next step in the possible demolition of the Astrodome could be taken next week by … Continue reading →

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Is this the end of hockey in Houston again?

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Looks like it. As the Houston Chronicle first reported in January, it appears the Houston Aeros’ 19-year run in Houston is all but over. An announcement could be coming in the next couple of weeks, basically after the Aeros’ season, … Continue reading →

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The Chron would like someone to do something about the Dome

Posted on April 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Something other than turning it into a parking lot, please. Whatever we do with the former Astrodome location should bolster Reliant Stadium’s capability to host events and make the overall complex a more attractive location during bidding processes. For inspiration, … Continue reading →

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RIP, Jack Pardee

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A sad day for Houston sports. Jack Pardee, a legend of Texas football from the six-man playing fields of Christoval to the barren wasteland of Junction to the Astrodome in Houston, has died of cancer, his family disclosed today. Pardee, … Continue reading →

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Are we getting close to a Dome decision?

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe by the end of the year. But don’t rush County Judge Ed Emmett, who has a few things to say about that study that claimed it would be cheaper than originally reported to demolish the Astrodome. Harris County Judge … Continue reading →

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County disputes cheaper Dome demolition price tag

Posted on March 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s on. Harris County officials on Thursday disputed an estimate released this week showing it would cost $29 million to implode the vacant Reliant Astrodome and build a 1,600-space parking lot in two and a half years. The figure, calculated … Continue reading →

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Maybe it wouldn’t be so expensive to demolish the Dome after all

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, look! It’s another What To Do With The Astrodome study! Woo hoo! The Houston Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo have commissioned a study showing it would cost $29 million to demolish the 48-year-old stadium and build … Continue reading →

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No Dome referendum yet

Posted on March 17, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

If you’ve been waiting for a chance to vote on the fate of the Astrodome, you’ll just have to keep waiting. Harris County officials unveiled options for the future of the long-vacant Astrodome last summer, with some members of Commissioners … Continue reading →

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The 288-to-the-Medical-Center connector takes a step forward

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I still have a bad feeling about this. In a first step toward providing relief, transportation officials will spend the year winnowing six possible locations for reversible toll lanes that would provide a direct connection between the sprawling medical campus … Continue reading →

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Reliant gets its new scoreboard

Posted on December 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

As expected, and in time for the next push to get a Super Bowl in Houston. The state-of-the-art digital scoreboards will be manufactured by Mitsubishi Electric’s Diamond Vision Systems Division and installed for the 2013 season in place of the … Continue reading →

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The Hall of Fame and guilt by association

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

John Royal hits on one of the least admirable traits of Hall of Fame voters. There are some voters out there once again claiming that Jeff Bagwell used ‘roids, and these same folks are claiming that Craig Biggio used them … Continue reading →

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No Dome vote this year?

Posted on August 10, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There may not be an Astrodome-related bond referendum on the ballot this year. The last day Commissioners Court can place a referendum on the November ballot is Aug. 20, according to county attorneys. The court’s Tuesday meeting was its last … Continue reading →

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Could you get to work if you didn’t have a car?

Posted on August 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Lots of people in the Houston area could not easily get to work if their car were not available to them. According to a new report from the Brookings Institution, only 57.8 percent of the jobs in the entire Houston … Continue reading →

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No Dome action yet

Posted on June 30, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It’s still there. Beyond that, nothing to report. Harris County officials put off any final decision on the fate of the Astrodome on Tuesday, though the top executive suggested a new option for the deteriorating stadium. County Judge Ed Emmett … Continue reading →

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Salvaging the Dome

Posted on May 4, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s one way to keep demolition costs down. Picture a urinal in the basement of the Reliant Astrodome — a block of dusty porcelain, used by Earl Campbell or Nolan Ryan, or any other Oilers or Astros great. How much … Continue reading →

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Comptroller Combs’ slush fund

Posted on March 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

It took me longer than usual to read this story because I kept having to stop to say “Seriously? Seriously?” When lawmakers gave Comptroller Susan Combs more power to spend tax money to attract sporting events and conventions to the … Continue reading →

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The Houston Not-Stros

Posted on January 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Oh, hell no. Even more drastic changes could come next year, when the [Astros move] to the American League. Possible transformations include new uniforms and logos, changes to the playing field and “Tal’s Hill” in center field, and even a … Continue reading →

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Houston to get 2013 NBA All Star Game

Posted on August 16, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Assuming the lockout has ended by then, of course. The game will be played Feb. 17 at Toyota Center, which also hosted the 2006 game. “It’s a done deal,” a person familiar with the bidding process told the Chronicle on … Continue reading →

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Why demolishing the Dome would be so expensive

Posted on April 6, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

This Chron story is primarily about what a bunch of notable people would like to see happen to the Astrodome. That isn’t terribly interesting to me, but it did contain this tidbit, which answers a question I’ve wondered about and … Continue reading →

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Jury selection begins in Eversole trial

Posted on March 7, 2011 by Charles Kuffner

Get your popcorn popper fired up. Jury selection begins this morning in the trial of Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole, who stands accused of accepting bribes from a friend and developer to whom he allegedly steered county contracts and appointments. … Continue reading →

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