Houston's Astrodome, the world's first domed stadium, sat derelict for decades

The Houston Astrodome opened in 1965 as an engineering landmark: the world's first domed, air-conditioned stadium. It was built to ride a wave of enthusiasm for covered stadiums and for a time it was a genuine civic monument, hosting the Astros, the Oilers and world-record event crowds.

The wonder aged into a single-purpose liability. Houston's teams eventually traded the dome for newer, open, more modern homes — the last major sports tenant left in 1999 — and the county-owned building fell into disuse, shuttered on fire-code grounds in 2008.

Redevelopment kept failing. Harris County proposed a $217 million renovation of the dormant hulk, but in November 2013 voters rejected the bond measure by a margin of 53% to 47%, leaving the county with a derelict landmark and no clear plan.

The Astrodome became a cautionary relic: a celebrated building whose entire worth was tied to a stadium fashion that passed, and whose owners could neither revive it nor easily get rid of it.