County Says Dome Ideas Already Coming In
Friday, February 1, 2008
By: Jack Williams

Leave it to the Astrodome to get people's creative juices flowing. Just days after an exclusive agreement between Harris County and an investor group expired, others are stepping up with ideas for the future of the dome. Houston Public Radio's Jack Williams reports.

Click to Listen

An agreement between the Astrodome Redevelopment Corporation and Harris County ran out Tuesday. It simply means others can now approach the County about their ideas. County Judge Ed Emmett says he's gotten some calls already.

"Some ideas are good and some ideas are really off the wall. We'll see and we'll see what ARC comes up with because they still say they're moving forward and at this point they have several years head start, so they are still in the best position to have a proposal that we can consider."
 
The Dome is empty and isn't cheap to maintain. Emmett says the sooner Harris County can decide on the stadium's future, the better.

"The residents of Harris County and probably the entire region view the Astrodome is an icon and they want it to be saved if at all possible. But we still owe $30 million in bonds on it and it's costing us $3 million a year to maintain. We do have to make a decision about it, but we need to make
the right decision."

Emmett wouldn't give details on the ideas he's heard. He says it's too early in the process to talk about them. Astrodome Redevelopment Corporation officials say they're close to a final plan for the Dome themselves.