What's the Astrodome renovation timeline?

HOUSTON – Astrodome renovations were scheduled to begin after the Houston Rodeo, but it appears the project is still in the cleanup phase.

Harris County commissioners in February 2018 approved a $105 million plan that would repurpose and renovate the Astrodome.

The plan is to raise the Astrodome's floor to create an underground parking garage and nine acres of open space, which is expected to be used for conferences, festivals and commercial space.

The original plan had construction starting in October 2018, but it was announced in September 2018 that work would not start until early 2019.

The Harris County engineering department said at that time that the construction was slated to begin after the 2019 Houston Rodeo.

In February, newly elected Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said she has not decided whether the current plan for the Astrodome is the best path forward for the aging icon.

KPRC2 reached out to Hildalgo's office Tuesday and have not heard back with an official statement.

A spokesperson for Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia told KPRC2 Tuesday that there are no major updates to share, saying they are still in demo phase and that the renovation is moving forward.

The Astrodome Conservancy said work on the Dome is moving forward with asbestos removal and that there is no set timeline.

Asbestos abatement on the Dome is nearly complete, a necessary step before any construction is undertaken. 

Construction is expected to take about 17 months.

PHOTOS: Astrodome through the years

In May 2018, the Astrodome was honored with a Texas State Historical Marker.

The marker makes the Dome a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, meaning it is both "historically and architecturally significant." 

The Dome is already a State Antiquities Landmark and has the title of being on the National Register of Historic Places.

When it opened in 1965, the Harris County Domed Stadium was the first of its kind, and was dubbed the "Eighth Wonder of the World."

The stadium hosted the Astros from 1965 to 1999 and the Oilers from 1968 to 1996. It was condemned in 2009.