Dome's dog days

When County Judge Ed Emmett called for a "family chat" about the Astrodome, we can't help but feel like siblings sitting around the table to discuss an old family dog ("'Family chat' on Dome planned," Page B1 Wednesday).

Do we put the poor girl out of her misery or do we try to pony up the cash to pay for a questionable, expensive surgery? Or do we just let her live her life and hang a nice pet portrait in the foyer after she simply collapses of old age? Perhaps the comparison is a bit morbid, but emotions are high when it comes to the Eighth Wonder of the World. After all, this family chat isn't just about saving a building, it is about how we treat our own history.

Yes, the Astrodome may eventually be demolished, but its end should only come after the most careful consideration. There is only one Astrodome, and once gone it cannot be replaced.

In a city that constantly struggles to break out of a boom-and-bust mentality, there is a terrifying imagery in rushing to destroy what was once - and still may be - our defining symbol. If Houston cannot save the Astrodome, who will save us?

Yet calls for preservation are only answered with questions. What should we do with the Dome, and how will we pay for it? Voters rejected the $217 million bond initiative to transform the Dome into an exposition space. With few facts to back up the bond advocates' revenue numbers, the vote was essentially a call back to the drawing board.

But Harris County doesn't have to spend hundreds of millions to make the Dome worthwhile. While the interior has fallen into disrepair, the Astrodome still stands as an embodiment of engineering conquering nature - a symbol of Houston's ambition in the 20th century. Preserving what we have already built should be the challenge of the 21st century.

So while the family debates what to do with the Dome, it would not take too much to at least return the structure's exterior to its glory days in time for the Super Bowl in 2017. The weeks of events preceding the 51st Super Bowl will be as much a celebration of Houston as a party for football fans, and a refurbished Dome could stand once again as a symbol of our city's history. Paint, power-washing and some historic plaques would turn an eyesore into a monument without busting the budget, and while leaving the Dome available for any future transformations - or demolitions.

The family may bicker, but we should at least put forward a happy face for the rest of the world. Save the fight until after the crowds go home.

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