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USOC intrigued by Astrodome plan
HOUSTON (AP) -- The Astrodome is 36 years old and showing its age, but it was the highlight for members of the USOC committee considering Houston for the 2012 Olympic Games. Houston organizers plan to turn the Astrodome, one of Houston's most famous structures, into a track and field stadium if the nation's fourth largest city is awarded the games. "The Astrodome has probably been the most talked about of all the venues," Bob Condron, director of media services for the USOC, said Tuesday. "You take away rain and wind from the equation and you don't have a lot of problems." Putting the Olympic track and field meet indoors hasn't been done before, but the Houston 2012 Foundation wants to gut the stadium and install a 400-meter track that meets all Olympic specifications. The Astrodome was in its football configuration Tuesday for the committee's visit. "Some of the committee members had never seen the Astrodome," foundation president Susan Bandy said. "There was almost like a hushed reaction when we came in. "We love our Astrodome plan and they seemed to like the entire idea." The Astrodome would be a part of another Olympic first, a two-stadium opening and closing ceremony, with athletes marching into the Astrodome and out to Reliant Stadium a few yards away. The USOC committee also toured transportation facilities and heard from the Houston group about plans for a light rail and bus system that would sidestep problems encountered in Atlanta in 2000. "Atlanta got to be the guinea pig where all the problems were discovered," Condron said. "The key was Atlanta had great transportation setup, but the system broke down because some of the drivers weren't familiar with the city. There were cases where the drivers had to ask the passengers where to turn. "Transportation is so important, not only for getting the athletes to the events but for getting the fans into the venues. That's something that we look at very strongly, and so does the International Olympic Committee." The Houston group is promoting the compactness of venues and its three air conditioned stadiums -- Astrodome, Reliant Stadium and the yet to be constructed downtown basketball arena. "We've got the market cornered on that one," former Olympian Leroy Burrell said. "Of all the bid cites, we are the only ones who can claim that many air conditioned sites. We need to control the environment, and we can." The USOC will tour the area through Thursday. Houston is the third of eight cities the committee will visit before selecting one as the U.S. city to compete with other countries for the 2012 Olympics. Washington and Dallas were the first two stops on the tour. Other visits are planned for Cincinnati, New York, Tampa-Orlando, San Francisco and Los Angeles. The USOC will select the U.S. bid city in October 2002. The International Olympic Committee will name the 2012 host city in September 2005.
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