New plan for Astrodome includes indoor park, zip lines

The latest proposal for the aging Astrodome calls for converting the structure into an indoor park and civic space, including an indoor grassy lawn and an outdoor promenade lined with oak trees. An Urban Land Institute panel, comprised of urban planners, economists and designers from around the country, released its preliminary recommendations Friday at the NRG Center. less The latest proposal for the aging Astrodome calls for converting the structure into an indoor park and civic space, including an indoor grassy lawn and an outdoor promenade lined with oak trees. An Urban Land ... more Photo: Teitler, Urban Land Institute Photo: Teitler, Urban Land Institute Image 1 of / 45 Caption Close New plan for Astrodome includes indoor park, zip lines 1 / 45 Back to Gallery

The latest proposal for the aging Astrodome calls for converting the structure into an indoor park and civic space, including an indoor grassy lawn and an outdoor promenade lined with oak trees.

The proposal includes space for events, an adventure park with zip lines and display space to showcase major events in Houston's history.

An Urban Land Institute panel, comprised of urban planners, economists and designers from around the country, released its preliminary recommendations Friday at the NRG Center. The study by the non-profit education and research institute was paid for by the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation and with a grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, which named the Astrodome a National Treasure in 2013.

While the costs and details were not firm, the panel agreed that the structure once known as the Eighth Wonder of the World is worth saving. The group will submit a final written report to Harris County in 60 to 90 days.

"The Astrodome can and should live on," said the panel chairman Wayne Ratkovich, president of Los Angeles-based Ratkovich Co., which specializes in urban infill and rehabilitation projects.

The panel said the Astrodome would not be best used as a venue because it would have too much competition from other large stadiums around the city. Instead, the Dome would be molded into a civic space with an indoor park with exhibition space. The bottom floor of the Dome would be a park. A promenade of trees would line the entrance and other greenery would surround the grounds outside the structure.

The panelists said it would work with the existing structures NRG Center and NRG Park to create a space that would connect the structures so that the Dome could be a place where visitors can go before or after Texans games or the rodeo.

The indoor park could incorporate an "Adventure Park" with zip lines and a rock climbing wall. The event space could help generate revenue to pay for the park and hold community festivals, farmer's markets, movie nights and charity events. It also recommended a parking structure with 1,500 net spaces.

To pay for the project, the panel recommended a mix of funding sources from philanthropy, historic tax credits, hotel occupancy tax funds, money from TIRZ and county funding, possibly in the form of a bond proposal. Because the plan is in its preliminary stages, the panel did not have a cost estimate for the proposal. It estimated, however, that the annual operating costs could be between $500,000 and $1 million per acre used, based on similar projects costs around the country.