Dive summary:
- Like the Ford Mustang, which was born only a year earlier, the Houston Astrodome was new, exciting and classic when it opened in 1965, the first multipurpose stadium with a self-supporting, domed roof.
- Now, while the Mustang has come back for a second life, the Astrodome – officially the Reliant Astrodome since 2001 – has been declared unsafe for occupancy and may have the wrecking ball in its future.
- Despite nostalgia and a place on the National Trust for Historic Preservation's “11 Most Endangered Historic Places” list, no one has been able to put together a re-use plan accompanied by the necessary dollars to dodge demolition.
From the article:
The stadium, seen as a marvel of modern engineering when it opened in 1965, was designed to embody Houston’s innovative, entrepreneurial and space-age development as a major U.S. city. ...
