In 1964, the Houston Astrodome was hailed as the 8th Wonder of the World. However, with advancements in time and technology, this once iconic sports venue became obsolete and has remained closed since 2008. The task of finding a new purpose for this towering arena now falls on the Astrodome Conservancy.
The organization has put forth a new vision for redevelopment which includes plans for restaurants, retail stores, office spaces, commercial areas and a revamped event floor within its impressive 18-story structure. This proposal also encompasses creating a mixed-use district around NRG Park.
Gensler – an architecture firm based in San Francisco – is responsible for designing these innovative plans that would generate approximately 450,000 square feet of revenue-generating space through four state-of-the-art buildings inside the stadium.
However ambitious these designs may be,the estimated cost to bring them to life is $1 billion which would require funding from both public and private sources through partnership agreements. As of yet though,no specific source has been identified to fund this grand project.
