When I moved to Houston from New York in 1980, one of the first places I wanted to visit was the Astrodome. Though I knew little about its history, to me, the Astrodome symbolized Houston and Texas. It was often called the eighth wonder of the world–an innovation that captured the spirit of cowboys and wildcatters. In the years since, the Astrodome has come to symbolize something very different.
The Astrodome has not been used for nearly eighteen years. In 2009, the Houston fire marshal declared the building unfit for occupancy. Yet, a few weeks ago the Texas Historical Commission announced that the unused and unusable structure will be designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The designation will make it more difficult to demolish the building and paves the way for a proposed $105 million renovation that will be financed by taxpayers.
Preservationists want to protect the Astrodome because of its history. And it is inarguable that the Dome has a unique place in history. But before we rush to spend more tax dollars to preserve a building, it might be wise to identify the full context. Otherwise, we might be making a very foolish and immoral decision.
The Astrodome was a boondoggle from the beginning. It was a taxpayer financed project led by Roy Hofeinz in an effort to lure a major league baseball team to the city. That effort succeeded, and taxpayers are still paying the price. And if the renovation proposal goes through, they will get to pay into the indefinite future.
The Astrodome stands as a monument to the destructiveness that can be unleashed when a small group of politicians and other influential individuals can impose their values on an entire city. Today’s Houstonians, most of whom did not live in the city in the 1960s (if they were even alive), are paying the price for decisions made decades ago.
If an individual or a business wants to build a stadium, then they have a moral right to do so. But they do not have a right to force others to pay for it. And that injustice is multiplied when that imposition is forced upon those who had no voice in the decision. It is time to end the injustice and demolish the Dome.