By Beverly Rosenbaum
The Show has continually reinvented itself since moving from its downtown Sam Houston Coliseum location to the Astrodome complex more than 30 years ago. The planned changes will be no less dramatic. An entirely new building program at the Astrodome complex will begin by first addressing the need for increased parking. In 1995, Harris County purchased a tract of land between Kirby Drive and South Main Street. "In the past year, Harris County officials decided to move forward with plans to construct additional parking on this property. Specifically, the new parking lots will be directly across Kirby Drive and on each side of Murworth Street," said Quarles. "There will be approximately 3,000 new paved parking spaces that will be well-lit and fenced for safety and security." Access to the lots by automobile will be from Kirby Drive and from South Main Street by way of turning on McNee, Murworth or Westridge Streets. The portion of the property being paved does not extend to South Main Street. Both lots will border Kirby Drive, and the area between Westridge and Murworth will accommodate 2,000 cars, while the lot between Murworth and McNee will hold 1,000 cars. Bids for construction of the parking area were let in early August 1999, and, weather permitting, the project should be completed just in time for the 2000 Show. "The lots will be a combination of concrete and asphalt," said Mike DeMarco, manager of special events, Logistics and Service Support Department. "Concrete will be used for the driveways and loading areas to accommodate heavier vehicles, while the parking spaces will be asphalt." There will be two walk-overs across Kirby Drive, one located on the south end of the property and another on the north end. If the walk-overs are not ready for the 2000 Show, security personnel will help move people across Kirby Drive at designated crosswalks. These 3,000 new parking spaces will become even more crucial for the 2001 Show as existing parking spaces north of the Dome are lost due to the construction of a new exhibition facility and temporary storage areas for building materials and equipment. On June 29, 1999, the Commissioners Court approved construction of the exhibition facility with work to begin by the first part of April 2000, and the projected completion within two years. The facility will be located on the north side of the Dome and extend east to near Fannin Street. Upon completion, the existing Astrohall will then be demolished, and its former surface space restored as a parking area. The current Astrohall will continue to be used through the 2002 Show during construction of the new exhibition facility. "It's going to be a challenge to have two Shows during the construction time of the exhibition facility, because of the ongoing construction and the loss of parking," said Quarles, "so the additional 3,000 parking spaces across Kirby Drive are vital. However, it is very important to the future of the Show to continue to progress by expanding and upgrading all of our facilities. These facilities will be a great addition to the Show. We spent a great deal of time meeting with county officials and architects putting all these plans together." The Rodeo Express will play a major role in accommodating Show visitors. "We transported over 300,000 people on our Rodeo Express buses for the 1999 Show, a record number," said Quarles. Additional METRO Park and Ride lots may be added as construction requirements consume more of the existing parking at the Dome complex for the duration of the project. It is conceivable that 90 percent of Show attendees could, at one point, be utilizing the highly successful Rodeo Express. "We're very excited about the prospects for additional parking, because we're definitely going to need it just to maintain our status quo," said Show General Manager Dan Gattis. "We're very appreciative of the support from the county leaders to add to the quality of the facilities. The new Kirby Drive parking spaces will become sought-after, prime parking, especially after the stadium/rodeo facility is built." "The inconvenience that is inevitable with the major building projects to come will require cooperation and patience from all Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo members, but the major gain to the Show will make it all worthwhile," said Show President Mike Wells. "We have to continue to change in order to move forward in the new millennium."
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