Renovating Houston’s historic Astrodome could come at a cost of more than $750 million — far more than the cost to demolish it — according to a recent Harris County architecture analysis.
The cost-intensive projection by Kirksey Architecture presents another hurdle to revitalize the famed structure that’s been vacant for longer than a decade and sits dormant in Houston’s NRG Park. It also shows that renovating the 60-year-old Astrodome would not be financially feasible without significant private investment, Jesse Dickerman, interim county administrator, said in a statement.
Other cost analyses, including one that was unveiled by the Astrodome Conservancy last year, have reached renovation cost estimates of about $1 billion.
The Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, a governmental nonprofit that manages the Astrodome and surrounding NRG Park on behalf of the county, approved the study with Kirksey Architecture in 2024 to look further into a cost analysis of updating the world’s first domed sports stadium.
In contrast to the conservancy’s redesign plan — which includes raising the floor 30 feet and creating a flexible arena space surrounded by offices, hotel spaces and restaurants — the latest cost projection would only restore the Astrodome to basic operation functionality. Though the analysis addresses necessary HVAC and plumbing issues, it doesn’t include upgrades that would be needed to meet modern venue standards and historic preservation, according to the Harris County Office of County Administration.
The Astrodome is considered a state antiquities landmark and any work to alter the structure would need to be approved by the Texas Historical Commission.
“The Astrodome remains a defining part of Harris County’s history and identity, and these efforts aim to ensure its legacy is considered thoughtfully in shaping the county’s path forward,” the Harris County Office of County Administration said in a news release about the latest cost estimate.
The architecture firm’s analysis and cost estimates were based on the design of the Astrodome’s major renovation in 1989 that replaced the original scoreboard and added 10,000 more seats. It also established a recommended seating capacity of 60,000 to allow for sporting events and potential use by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
Cost of tearing it down
Another option, to demolish the structure, is estimated to cost about $54 million, according to the analysis.
Such a demolition would happen in three phases — internal demolition of the main structure elements, implosion of the dome roof and the destruction of perimeters and below-grade structures — according to a news release from Kirksey.
The last scheduled event to be held in the Astrodome was in 2002. While the space was used to temporarily house Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005, the building lost its certificate of occupancy in 2009 and has since been used for storage.
County and sports officials have long weighed options for the building once known as the "Eighth Wonder of the World," but none have stuck as staggering cost estimates have proven to be a big obstacle.
In a survey this year from the University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs, Harris County voters overwhelmingly supported using public funds to renovate the Astrodome for use as an entertainment venue.
RELATED: Astrodome Conservancy unveils new plans for the ‘Eighth Wonder of the World’
The survey also revealed that roughly three-quarters of Harris County voters believe that the county should fund at least a portion of the cost of renovating NRG Stadium, which sits next to the Astrodome and serves as the home to the annual rodeo as well as the NFL’s Houston Texans.
Twenty-six percent of Harris County voters said the county should pay up to 40% of the renovation costs for NRG Stadium. About 26% of survey respondents said the county should not bear any costs associated with the stadium renovations.
Most respondents said they have a favorable opinion of the stadium's two tenants — the rodeo and the Texans. NRG Stadium is in need of renovations costing between $1 billion and $2 billion. When the stadium was first built in the early 2000s, public funds covered 60% of the cost, according to the study.
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