Astrodome adaptive reuse, take two

If you didn't like the idea of our beloved Astrodome becoming a fancy hotel, then you won't be happy that a hotel plan is still in the works. The difference this time around, though, is that the new convention hotel will not incorporate the "historic" Texas themes which could have included an Alamo facade, faux courthouse, and a bunch of other corny things.

The new plan, which doesn't yet have detailed renderings, opts for a "more modern, streamlined" look which could suggest anything from 1930s-era style to an 80s stab at it - on the other hand, if you stare at the open-top rendering long enough, it looks more and more like a 50s cafeteria grill plate or a circular bento box.

A couple of the Astrodome's sports features - a section of the seats and part of the baseball diamond - might also make their way into the redevelopment. According to Scott Hanson, the President of the Astrodome Redevelopment Corporation, there will still be a kitschy element if you were worried about that:

We're going to have rides. There could be air rides that take you off the ground and make you say, 'Wow.' We're going to have a few of those. They would be easy-going rides that would show off the venue.

With a major tax credit in hand from the Texas Historical Commission and financing from Deutsche Bank, the last steps are getting approval from the Commissioners Court and working out parking and income deals with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Texans.

Unfortunately, we may not be able to recognize our landmark since part of the revenue-generating parking will be in the form of a garage that will completely surround the Astrodome.