Following on this earlier post on the dilemma posed by the obsolescent Astrodome, this Richard Connelly Houston Press article does a good job of reviewing the Astrodome hotel project and the other options that are being considered.
Given the constraints posed by regular events at Reliant Stadium and the use of Reliant Park by the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and other conventions, retrofitting the Dome into a commercial development is not feasible. The Dome is an important part of Houston’s history, but its time is passed and the nostalgia is the only productive aspect of it that remains. It’s time to recognize that the only viable option is to demolish the Dome and use the valuable land for better and more productive purposes at Reliant Park.
Update: Charles Kuffner has an interesting thought on the Dome dilemma.