[nunusguy]

Four recognizable pieces of the beleaguered Reliant Astrodome will be demolished in the coming weeks, Reliant Park officials said Monday.

The four circular ramp towers should be coming down on Dec. 8 just after 9 p.m., according to Reliant Park General Manager Mark Miller. That schedule is dependent on weather conditions, he added.

The Houston Texans will be on the road that weekend, so the area will be clear of fans and tailgaters.

On Nov. 5, Harris County voters rejected a $217 million bond to turn the Dome into an event and exhibition center. The future of the structure is still in limbo.

The towers were constructed during the 1988-1989 round of renovations to accommodate the added seating capacity that came with 10,000 seats and luxury suites added that year after the massive, "exploding" scoreboard was taken out.

The towers helped the Dome not only comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act but also helped getting fans in and out of the new upper deck seats. Elevators inside the Dome also accommodated those with disabilities who attended events at the stadium.

Three of the four ramp towers will be demolished using small charges of explosives, while the remaining one will be brought down with demolition equipment. Cherry Demolition will be handling the project, according to Miller.

During the recent Astrodome garage sale, workers could be seen inside the towers severing the bridges that connected the ramp towers to the Dome structure. That work was put off during the recent rain in Houston.

Miller says the ramps were always on the chopping block, and were due to be removed no matter the outcome of the Nov. 5 vote. They weren't part of any future plans of the Dome.

Meanwhile, other construction work around the perimeter of the Dome continues, with the grass berms being brought down to grade. The ticketing booths are all but gone as well.

The plaza located on the northwest side of the stadium will not be touched.

A sale and auction of memorabilia from the iconic Astrodome on Nov. 2 drew thousands of people, some of whom waited in line for hours. Nostalgic fans started lining up around 5 a.m., three hours before the sale was set to begin at the adjacent Reliant Center.
"We expected 2,000 people and got over 8,000," Miller said.

Miller said any possible similar sales would be online only, if there are any. Reliant is still working on filling an estimated 1,900 pre-orders remaining from the first sale and filling bulk orders from other buyers. As of now, most of the upper deck seats are cleared, and portions of other decks are also bare.

"We need to assess what we have left to be able to sell," said Miller, adding that some of the remaining seats aren't in a condition suitable for sale.

It was rumored that the Diamond Vision screens could also be sold off, but nothing has been set in stone, Miller said. An asbestos abatement project will begin next week, with workers removing material from the interior.

The Houston Archaeological and Historical Commission will consider historical landmark status for the Astrodome, Houston's most iconic building, at its Dec. 12 meeting. Such a designation, made without the building owner's consent, wouldn't stop demolition, only delay it by 90 days.

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-te...php?cmpid=hpts
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It's about time, now get crackin on leveling the rest of it !