With brand-spanking-new Reliant Stadium opening next door, the Astrodome is endanger of becoming a relic. So what do you do with a spare 80,000-seat domed stadium? No one really knows, but, for now at least, the Dome might enjoy an extended life as Houston vies for the 2012 Olympics.
The Astrodome was the "Eighth Wonder of the World," the "Taj Mahal of all stadia," "a rare jewel on a one-time swamp."
It was Houston's Eiffel Tower -- except that it contained more steel. It was the Bayou City's Roman Colosseum -- except that it was bigger and had foam-rubber, opera-style seats. It was our Empire State Building -- except that, as a tourist draw, its 4.5 million first-year visitors left the New York office building in the dust.
No matter how greased, high-powered or outlandish, words never could do justice to the Dome.
Born in a blast of gunfire -- civic leaders broke ground by firing their pistols into the dirt -- the world's first air-conditioned domed arena put everyone on notice that rumble-tumble, newly rich Houston was a burg to be reckoned with.
Thirty-seven years after its opening, however, the Astrodome is sadly obsolete, a faded world wonder dumped by the sports teams that made it famous.
That process will be completed Aug. 24 with the opening of the $449 million retractable-roof Reliant Stadium, which will be home to the Houston Texans football team and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
The Astrodome will continue to host smaller events in 2003 and likely will fill a secondary role during the 2004 Super Bowl. After that, its fate is anybody's guess.
Exposition center? Hotel? Theme park? Indoor ski slope? Houston's own version of Dollywood or Branson? Thankfully, no one is yet speaking of demolishing the Dome. I've never been a big fan of the Astrodome- it was a horrible place to watch a sporting event. In that view, however, I'm something of a minority in this town. It's iconic value, though, is inestimable. Given that, I imagine the Astrodome will be around for some time to come, and that's probably a good thing.
