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Tomorrow, commissioners will decide whether to spend an additional $10.5M to further detail the possible transformation of the Astrodome. Harris County officials have proposed raising the ground level up two levels, turning them into parking. The overall $105M project would open the door for the venue to be used as an exhibition space or park while generating revenue from parking fees, the Houston Chronicle reports. The plan would create 1,400 parking spaces, allowing some 240k SF of ground-level space to be used for events. If the plan takes off, an additional 550k SF around the structure could be used for commercial or hospitality revenue. Currently, the dome costs about $168k/year to maintain, said county budget officer Bill Jackson. He said demolishing the dome would cost roughly $30M. [Chron]
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