HOUSTON – (By Ralph Bivins) – The Astrodome, a landmark of engineering that embodies Houston’s can-do spirit, has been officially designated a State Antiquities Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission.
Recognized as the world’s first air-conditioned domed stadium, the Astrodome opened with a game in which Mickey Mantle hit the first home run on April 9, 1965, with President Lyndon B. Johnson in attendance.
With this designation, the Astrodome joins the Alamo and the State Capitol among Texas’s protected historic sites. At 52 years old, the stadium now cannot be demolished or altered without approval from the state commission.
In recent years some residents advocated demolishing the vacant Astrodome—once dubbed the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” At the time, estimated demolition costs reached about $35 million.
Harris County Judge Ed Emmett has led efforts in recent years to redevelop the Dome, which sits adjacent to NRG Stadium—the venue for next Sunday’s Super Bowl. The 350-acre county-owned complex, near Loop 610 at Kirby Drive, is largely dominated by an expansive parking lot with roughly 26,000 spaces that remain unused most days.
The county approved a $105 million redevelopment plan last year that would convert the Astrodome’s below-grade levels into two tiers of about 1,400 underground parking spaces. The Dome’s 500,000 square-foot interior could later host exhibits, entertainment, or other public uses.
The Astrodome stood empty for years after the Houston Astros and the Houston Oilers left, as the stadium no longer met their needs. Without regular use, maintenance lagged and the once-proud structure faded from everyday attention.
Many had forgotten that the Astrodome was central to Space City’s identity while astronauts trained a few miles away at NASA’s facilities in southeast Houston. After President John F. Kennedy’s 1962 Rice University speech challenging the nation to land a man on the moon before the decade’s end, Houston became home to Mission Control and a hub for America’s space efforts.
During the 1960s astronauts were national heroes. Houston’s new Major League Baseball team adopted a space-themed name, and ushers and groundskeepers at the Astrodome wore costumes that reflected the city’s aerospace spirit.
Designed by architects Hermon Lloyd and W.B. Morgan with the firm Wilson, Morris, Crain, and Anderson, the Astrodome required substantial engineering innovation. Its roof spans 600 feet without supporting columns, and the air-conditioning system had to deliver unprecedented 300-foot throws of cooled air.
Buckminster Fuller, the noted architect and systems thinker associated with geodesic domes, was consulted early in the project by Judge Roy Hofheinz, the Dome’s driving force and a skilled promoter. Hofheinz—formerly a Houston mayor and county judge and once campaign manager for Lyndon Johnson—coined the “Eighth Wonder” label and established grand corporate suites at the top of the stadium. Those early skyboxes became lucrative, if sometimes distant, vantage points for spectators.
After completion, Hofheinz faced a major problem: the Dome’s roof limited sunlight, preventing natural grass from growing on the playing surface. Grass being essential to baseball, he partnered with Monsanto to develop a synthetic alternative. That innovation became known as Astroturf, a landmark invention in stadium surfaces.
Innovation, entrepreneurship, and opportunity define Houston: a city with minimal zoning constraints where ambition, hard work and determination matter most. The Astrodome stands as a symbol of that restless spirit and technological ambition.
The Texas Historical Commission’s decision to protect the Astrodome recognizes its architectural and cultural importance, preserving a key chapter in Houston’s history.
Award-winning journalist Ralph Bivins is editor of Texas-based Realty News Report.
Jan. 30, 2017 Realty News Report Copyright 2017