Emmett proposes Dome become world's largest indoor park. Kiah Collier, Chron.com
Among potential attractions Emmett said he could envision at the domed stadium were a large open green for festivals and other community gatherings, general exercise facilities, an amphitheater, a pavilion for music and other events, and special educational facilities for children, even museums. The Dome also could house permanent or temporary sports facilities, such as an archery range or horseshoe pits, he said.
This on the heels of Emmett's strong criticism of the Texans/HLS&R proposal to turn the Dome-space into a large outdoor park as "a silly plan" . Apparently "silly" is defined by whether or not the walls and roof are still in place to provide 24/7 air-conditioning? Or maybe "silly" is more identified with who signs the ultimate demolition order?
This entire process has now devolved into full-on tragi-comedy as it is becoming increasingly evident that the vision of the Texans/HLS&R are at odds with the visions of the current batch of elected County officials.
It's also very clear that Emmett doesn't reserve the same standards for his plans as he does others. It has been Emmett acting as the loudest critic of plans that were presented without funding proposals along side them. It's been stated that the County doesn't have the funds to repurpose the Dome currently, so I'm guessing this is going to mean that Emmett is going to propose a tax increase on the citizens of Harris County (eventually) to fund the thing. One supposes it will be a sufficient distance away from the rumored tax increase to fund pre-K eduction. And that both tax-increase proposals will be situated far enough from his re-election campaign as to allow him to run (again) as a "fiscal conservative who gets things done."
In some ways, it's even sadder that the proposal for "saving the Dome" involves plans for horseshoe pits (hey, why not a corn-hole range?) and archery ranges. From the (temporarily) 8th Wonder of the World to a very big room where Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo attendees can drink beer and toss horseshoes until they puke the decline of the rotting hulk has been a sad one.
If that's the best we can come up with I would suggest that it's possibly time for the good people of Harris County to consider electing some Commissioners who can do better. Alas, this won't happen. There are no safer seats in politics than on the Harris County Commissioner's Court.
My question is this: If plan "A" was the horrendous "New Astrodome Experience" and plan "B" is this piece of light comedy, how bad are things going to look when we get to plans "W", "X", "Y" or "Z"? All of which we would seemingly reach before any current members of the Commissioner's Court might want to think about, possibly, conducting a feasibility study surrounding tearing the damn thing down? We could get to the point where we're seriously considering an indoor movie studio again.
Or maybe we just let the thing fall away like the Roman Coliseum?
Hell, we're already trying to copy San Francisco and Montreal with this mess of a plan so why not? At least Rome is a proper World Class City right?
