A group of nationally renowned land use and urban planning experts has been convened by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) to make recommendations regarding the redevelopment and reuse of the NRG Astrodome to the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation (HCSCC). Conducted through ULI’s advisory services program, the panel will visit Houston December 14–19 and evaluate possibilities for repurposing the NRG Astrodome.
The panel will spend the first part of the visit evaluating the site and meeting with a variety of stakeholders in preparation for the development of its recommendations later in the week.
Related: Powerpoint of Panel’s Recommendations
Now in its 67th year, the ULI advisory services panel program assembles experts in the fields of real estate and land use planning to participate on panels worldwide, offering recommendations for complex planning and development projects, programs, and policies. Panels have developed more than 600 studies for a broad range of land uses, ranging from the redevelopment of waterfront properties to sports stadiums.
The panel assisting the HCSCC is being chaired by longtime ULI member and widely renowned industry expert Wayne Ratkovich, president of the Los Angeles–based Ratkovich Company, which specializes in urban infill and rehabilitation projects primarily in southern California. Ratkovich, who has been involved in urban design, development, and redevelopment for nearly 40 years, is a life trustee of the Institute and has chaired or served on numerous ULI advisory panels. “ULI looks forward to bringing the expertise of its members to Harris County,” Ratkovich said. “We are aiming to demonstrate how the NRG Astrodome can be revived to become a facility that adds to the economic, environmental, and social well-being of the entire community.”
In addition to Ratkovich, other panelists include the following: Amy Barrett, vice president, Permar Inc., Charleston, South Carolina; Peter Hasselman, owner, Peter M. Hasselman, FAIA, Orinda, California; Cary Hirschstein, partner, HR&A Advisors Inc., New York City; Todd Mead, PWP Landscape Architecture, Berkeley, California; Robert Mills, principal, Commonwealth Architects, Richmond, Virginia; Tom Murphy, senior resident fellow, ULI/Klingbeil Family Chair for Urban Development, ULI, Washington, D.C.; David Panagore, executive director, New Haven Parking Authority, Hartford, Connecticut; Douette Pryce, president, Pryce Resources, Sewalls Point, Florida; and Kevin Rieger, senior vice president for real estate development, Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG), Los Angeles.
According to Thomas Eitler, vice president of ULI’s advisory services program, the strength of the program lies in the Institute’s unique ability to draw on the substantial knowledge of its 34,000-plus members, including land developers, engineers, public officials, academics, lenders, architects, planners, and urban designers. “The independent views of the panelists bring a fresh perspective to the land use challenge,” Eitler said. “The advisory services program is about offering creative, innovative approaches to community building.”
