HLSR, Texans devise $66 million proposal to demolish Astrodome, turn it into outdoor park

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- If the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and the Houston Texans get their way, the Astrodome may soon be a structure that can seen only in the history books.

The HLSR and the Texans have devised a $66 million plan to demolish the Dome and turn it into a green space similar to Discovery Green in downtown Houston, said Joe Stinebaker with Harris County Judge Ed Emmett's office. The Texans and the rodeo propose to have the project completed in time for the 2017 Super Bowl at neighboring NRG Stadium, the NFL team's home venue, according to a 37-page plan

However, the proposal is not pending before Commissioners Court and there's no timeline to make any decision on the historic building.

"Anyone can come up with a proposal," Steinebaker said.

No funding source has been identified, Leroy Shafer, chief operating officer of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, told The Associated Press.

The plan comes two months after Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, who chairs the county's board of commissioners, asked the county-owned stadium's stakeholders to suggest what to do with it. The Texans and the rodeo have been eager to free up the space now filled by the derelict dome, which the Astros vacated in 2000. Opened in 1965, the dome was declared unsuitable for occupancy in 2009.

"This has to be developed further, but it is one more option," Shafer said.

A message left with the Houston Texans was not returned.

The county commissioners have the final say over what to do with the Astrodome and no proposal is now before them, Stinebaker said.

"The ball has not moved, and my guy remains opposed to demolition," Stinebaker told the AP.

Various ideas over the years to refurbish the Astrodome - from water park to sports memorabilia museum - have gained little traction.

The stadium's most prominent use in recent years was as a shelter for Louisiana residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

The Associated Press contributed to this report