Panelists and stakeholders touring the Astrodome. From left: Peter Hasselman, an architect and urban designer in Orinda, California; Todd Mead, a senior associate at PWP Landscape Architecture in Berkeley, California; Tom Murphy, former Pittsburgh mayor and ULI senior resident fellow; and Mark Miller, general manager of NRG Park.
From the November/December Issue of Urban Land 2014: A ULI Advisory Service panel made recommendations about the future use and preservation of Houston’s Astrodome, among the first indoor sports facilities in the world.
“Many in Houston have forgotten that the Astrodome was once called the “Eighth Wonder of the World” and that Mickey Mantle hit the first home run there—in an Astros exhibition game with the Yankees on April 9, 1965, with President Lyndon Johnson in attendance,” wrote author Ralph Bivins of RealtyNewsReport.com.
“Our conclusion is the dome can and should live on,” said panel chair Wayne Ratkovich, president of the Los Angeles–based Ratkovich Company, which specializes in urban infill and rehabilitation projects. “You’ve got the Eighth Wonder of the World in your city. You have a wonderful opportunity.”
In the fall of 2024, Gensler partnered with the Astrodome Conservancy to unveil a new $1 billion plan to preserve the stadium, which still stands.
