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What’s next for the Astrodome? Plans for one of Houston’s most iconic landmarks to be revealed Wednesday

HOUSTON - 1965. Aerial view of the Astrodome in Houston shortly after its completion. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) (Transcendental Graphics, 2006 Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics)

HOUSTON, Texas – If you’re a Houstonian by birth or have lived here an incredibly long time, you know about or have heard about the Astrodome and what it once meant, and to many, still means to our community.

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Since the Astrodome was condemned in 2009, and frankly, even before that, many people have anticipated what’s next for the once billed “Eighth Wonder of the World,” and arguably Houston’s most iconic landmark.

On Wednesday, the Astrodome Conservancy is set to reveal its plans for the dome.

KPRC 2 asked how this newest plan is different from ones previously presented.

“The difference is we have gone out and built a capital stack that will support private investment in this public asset, so we have real dollars, real figures that we are bringing to the table,” said Beth Wiedower Jackson, the Executive Director of the Astrodome Conservancy.

In 2018, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved a plan to repurpose the Astrodome. Under the $105 million plan, the space was to be transformed into a multi-functional park and event space, but in November 2019, the project was scrapped.

“The plan that had been designed wouldn’t have yielded, truly a usable building,” said Hidalgo in 2019. “It’s just not something that would have made it competitive against convention centers elsewhere.”

Earlier this year, KPRC 2 sat down with historian Mike Acosta who said the dome, which has been pretty much abandoned for more than 20 years, should be turned into a multipurpose entertainment center.

“What the Astrodome becomes in the future is going to be a far longer story than it was as a stadium. They built the Astrodome as a multipurpose. It should remain remain multipurpose,” Acosta said.

The 9.5-acre building, known for its domed roof and electrifying scoreboard, debuted on April 9, 1965, as the world’s first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium.

For nearly 40 years, the gargantuan structure played host to baseball, football and basketball games, Muhammad Ali boxing matches, rodeos, and concerts by stars like Elvis Presley, Bob Dylan, Judy Garland, the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney, Madonna and Selena, and memorable events like tennis champion Billie Jean King’s legendary triumph over Bobby Riggs in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match and the 1992 Republican convention where Houston resident George Bush won the Republican presidential nomination.

FILE - University of Houston head coach Guy V. Lewis is carried to the dressing room after defeating UCLA 71-69 in an NCAA college basketball game at the Astrodome in Houston, Jan. 20, 1968. It was called The Game of the Century, and it lived up to the billing. (AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky, File) (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Bobby Riggs, riding in a rickshaw pulled by some women, makes his grand entrance to the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, Sept. 20, 1973, for his $100,000 winner-take-all match with Billie Jean King. Before the night was over Riggs left the court a dejected, defeated man after losing the championship to Ms. King, 6-4, 6-3, 6-3. (AP Photo) (AP Photo)
Supporters of Billie Jean King are shown at the Astrodome in Houston, Tex., Sep 20,1973 as King will participate in a $100,000 winner-take-all "Battle of the Sexes" match against Bobby Riggs.(AP Photo) (AP Photo)
It’s the 29th anniversary of Selena Quintanilla’s last concert at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at the Astrodome. (KSAT)
Billie Jean King tennis player in the “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match with Bobby Riggs, the 55-year-old veteran, at the Houston Astrodome in Houston, Texas on Sept. 20, 1973. (AP Photo) (AP Photo)
Ms. Billie Jean King waves to crowds at the Astrodome in Houston, Tex., Sep 20,1973 as she is borne onto the crowd on a multi-colored throne carried by four men for her match with Bobby Riggs.(AP Photo) (AP Photo)

For a time, the Astrodome was among the most-visited man-made attractions in the country, outranked only by the Golden Gate Bridge and the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. But by 1996, the Houston Oilers had abandoned the Astrodome, and the state, for a new name and better prospects in Tennessee. And come 1999, the Astros ditched the stadium for Enron Field. The Astrodome fell into disrepair and has sat largely vacant since 2005, when it was briefly reopened as an emergency shelter for thousands of New Orleans residents fleeing Hurricane Katrina.

In 2014, the Astrodome was listed on the National Register of Historic Places both for its architectural and cultural significance.

In 2017, it was designated a state antiquity landmark, joining the auspicious ranks of the Alamo and State Capitol.

HOUSTON - 1965. Aerial view of the Astrodome in Houston shortly after its completion. (Photo by Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images) (2006 Mark Rucker/Transcendental Graphics)
FILE - Houston Astros pitcher Nolan Ryan hurls the ball against the Los Angeles Dodgers, en route to the fifth no-hitter of his career, at the Houston Astrodome, Sept. 26, 1981. Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan is the subject of a new documentary. (AP Photo/Ed Kolenovsky, File) (AP1981)
HOUSTON, TX - JULY 16: Pitcher Nolan Ryan #34 of the Houston Astros talks with teammate J.R. Richard #50 during an MLB game against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 16, 1980 at the Houston AstroDome in Houston, Texas. (Photo by B Bennett/Getty Images) (1980 B Bennett)
HOUSTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 19: Pitcher J.R. Richard #50 of the Houston Astros throws the pitch during an MLB game against the Atlanta Braves on September 19, 1978 at the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bruce Bennett Studios via Getty Images Studios/Getty Images) (1978 B Bennett)

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