Plan To Renovate Astrodome Gets Harris County Approval
On Tuesday the Harris County Commissioners Court voted to move forward with a $105M renovation of the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Astrodome. The vote gives final approval for the design and eventual construction of a project that would raise the ground level two floors to fit in roughly 1,400 parking spaces. County officials say the renovation would make the Dome suitable for festivals, conferences and other commercial uses.
In 2016, Harris County Commissioners voted unanimously to spend $10.5M on initial planning and due diligence for the project. A third of the $105M will come from the county's general fund collected from property taxes and another third will come from hotel taxes, with the final portion coming from parking revenue.
Earlier this year, the Texas Historical Commission approved the Astrodome's application to become a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The Dome costs close to $170K a year to maintain, county budget officials have said.
UPDATE, FEB. 13, 1:30 P.M. ET: The story has been updated to reflect the vote of the Harris County Commissioners Court.
