Tag Archives: Harris County Sports & Convention Corp

LurkingHouston

Posted on June 16, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I can’t be too mad at this. The Astrodome hasn’t seen a crowd in over a decade—but it got some unexpected visitors this week when three 18-year-old urban explorers slipped inside the iconic, long-shuttered stadium, exposing the eerily dilapidated “Eighth … Continue reading →

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The Astrodome Conservancy keeps plugging away

Posted on April 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

I respect the hustle. It’s time to move forward with Vision: Astrodome, the recently unveiled proposal from the Astrodome Conservancy. It activates the power of this historic monument to serve the public, now and long into the future. Since its … Continue reading →

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Let’s renegotiate that lease

Posted on March 24, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

How sweet it is, for the Texans. As county leaders and officials with Bob McNair’s nascent football team were closing in on a deal for a new football stadium in the early 2000s, the Texans landed a late concession that … Continue reading →

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If the Texans want a new stadium, they can build it themselves

Posted on February 20, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Yeah, no. When Texans owner Cal McNair named a new team president last month, the first thing he touted about Mike Tomon’s resume was his “extensive history in stadium development.” Tomon was previously an executive at Legends, a stadium operations … Continue reading →

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Replacing NRG Arena

Posted on December 24, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Someone’s gotta pay for it. If NRG Arena were a car, it would be totaled. A 2019 assessment commissioned by the county found the arena, where the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo holds its horse show and auctions every March, … Continue reading →

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Harris County Sports & Convention Corp to do its own Astrodome assessment

Posted on November 22, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’re on the way to something. Destination TBD. The Harris County Sports & Convention Corp. — which oversees the management, operation and development of NRG Park — has approved a study to consider the future of the Astrodome, whether it … Continue reading →

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New Sports Authority CEO hired

Posted on November 19, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

The changeover is complete. Ryan Walsh was hired Friday as the CEO of the Harris County-Houston Sports Authority, tasked with overseeing the city’s largest sports facilities and events, after a unanimous vote by the agency’s board of directors. The move … Continue reading →

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We have another plan for repurposing the Astrodome

Posted on November 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what the version number is for this, but whatever it is, increment it by one. The Astrodome became the world’s first domed stadium upon opening its doors in 1965. Financed and developed primarily by then-mayor Roy Hofheinz, the … Continue reading →

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Multiple settlements of AstroWorld injury lawsuits

Posted on October 25, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Noted for the record. The start of a trial over injuries suffered during the 2021 Astroworld concert has been delayed until February, after more than 300 of the plaintiffs reached settlements with LiveNation and concert headliner Travis Scott, one of … Continue reading →

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New Sports Authority CEO

Posted on October 15, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not sure what to make of this. The Harris County-Houston Sports Authority on Friday fired CEO Janis Burke after 18 years with the organization, a high-profile termination that came hours after Mayor John Whitmire and Houston’s sports executives gathered at … Continue reading →

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Last Astroworld wrongful death suit settled

Posted on May 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Not unexpected, at least to me. The family of the youngest concertgoer killed at the 2021 Astroworld Festival has settled with rapper Travis Scott, Apple, LiveNation and other companies on the heels of similar agreements in other fatality lawsuits, a … Continue reading →

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Last Astroworld wrongful death lawsuit set for September trial

Posted on May 18, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if there’s a settlement in this one at some point. The civil trial over the death of a 9-year-old boy killed at the 2021 Astroworld festival is scheduled to begin in September. Harris County 11th District Court Judge … Continue reading →

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All but one of the Astroworld wrongful death lawsuits have been settled

Posted on May 9, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

A big day in court yesterday. Nine of the 10 wrongful death lawsuits filed after a deadly crowd surge at the 2021 Astroworld music festival have been settled, including one that was set to go to trial this week, an … Continue reading →

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Apple appeal delays Astroworld trial

Posted on May 4, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

This may take awhile. The start of the first civil trial stemming from the 2021 Astroworld Festival, at which 10 people were killed in a crowd surge, has been delayed. Jury selection had been set to begin Tuesday, May 7 … Continue reading →

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Travis Scott remains in the Astroworld lawsuit

Posted on April 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

All of the motions to get out have been decided. A Harris County District Court judge denied rapper Travis Scott’s bid to be removed from the upcoming civil trial over the deaths and injuries that occurred at the 2021 Astroworld … Continue reading →

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Travis Scott makes his argument to get out of the Astroworld lawsuit

Posted on April 17, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

He has a reasonable case. Not saying I’d buy it, but it’s not ridiculous. Superstar rapper Travis Scott should not be held responsible for planning failures before the 2021 Astroworld tragedy or the delayed process of ending the show as … Continue reading →

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Astroworld lawsuit update

Posted on April 14, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Drake got himself removed as a defendant. A Harris County district court judge on Wednesday dismissed Drake from the sprawling civil lawsuit over the deadly Astroworld concert. The Canadian rapper was a guest performer at the November 2021 concert, appearing … Continue reading →

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Travis Scott wants out of Astroworld lawsuit

Posted on April 1, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

I would too if I were him. Whether he should or he will is another matter. Houston-born rapper Travis Scott said he should not be held personally responsible for the deaths of 10 people who died in the crushing crowds … Continue reading →

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Some AstroWorld defendants try to get out

Posted on March 26, 2024 by Charles Kuffner

Lots going on here. Apple, Drake and other defendants targeted have asked a Harris County court to dismiss them from a sprawling lawsuit filed by victims of the 2021 Astroworld disaster. A flood of new motions and documents filed in … Continue reading →

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Travis Scott and the Apple contract

Posted on August 9, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Gotta say, this doesn’t look great. Houston police investigating the 2021 Astroworld concert disaster determined that a contract between Travis Scott and Apple required him to finish his set in order to receive a $4.5 million payment, according to a … Continue reading →

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HPD releases its official report on the AstroWorld tragedy

Posted on July 29, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

Read it and see for yourself. They looked like rag dolls, Reece Wheeler thought. One by one, the Astroworld Festival coordinator watched from the command center as unconscious Travis Scott fans’ were crowd-surfed out of the mosh pit and dumped … Continue reading →

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Grand jury no-bills Travis Scott

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

No criminal charges will be filed over the deaths at the 2021 AstroWorld concert. A grand jury declined on Thursday to criminally indict rapper Travis Scott and five others in the 2021 Astroworld concert deaths, capping a nearly two-year police … Continue reading →

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Checking in on the Astrodome

Posted on April 3, 2023 by Charles Kuffner

With the Final Four in town, we have visitors at Reliant Stadium looking over at its unused predecessor and wondering what’s going on with it. The short answer is, not much. The state of the dome and prospects for its … Continue reading →

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City approves new regulations on outdoor music festivals

Posted on December 8, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Hope they help. Houston City Council on Monday approved stricter permitting requirements for outdoor music events on private property with more than 500 attendees. There has been an increasing number of instances in which organizers only informed the city of … Continue reading →

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Local AstroWorld task force gives its report

Posted on December 1, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Sounds mostly okay to me, but one person who knows a lot more about this stuff than I do is not impressed. A task force formed after the deadly Astroworld concert unveiled a clearer agreement Monday between Houston, Harris County, … Continue reading →

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The state of the AstroWorld lawsuits

Posted on November 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

We’re still at the beginning of a very long road. The roughly 2,500 plaintiffs who filed lawsuits in the aftermath of the Astroworld Festival are now part of what is expected to be a yearslong legal process to seek recourse from … Continue reading →

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New regulations for outdoor music events proposed

Posted on October 16, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Good idea, but it feels to me like there ought to be more. Houston is considering tightening up permitting requirements for some large outdoor music events to avoid wasting city resources accommodating last-minute notices. On Thursday, officials from the Houston … Continue reading →

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The injury totals from AstroWorld

Posted on May 13, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

A lot of people were seriously hurt at that event. More than 700 people were seriously injured during November’s Astroworld Festival tragedy, according to new court documents filed in Harris County this week. Plaintiffs attorneys Jason Atkin, Richard Mithoff and … Continue reading →

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State task force recommendations on AstroWorld

Posted on April 22, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. To avoid a repeat of the mayhem at last year’s deadly Astroworld Festival, Texas needs to standardize its event permitting process, establish “clearly outlined triggers” for stopping shows and ensure local public safety agencies are organized in a clear … Continue reading →

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AstroWorld lawsuits get underway

Posted on March 3, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

This is going to be fascinating, heartbreaking, infuriating, and a lot more. Lawyers packed a Harris County civil courtroom Tuesday morning as the judge overseeing litigation stemming from the deadly Astroworld Festival concert outlined the first steps to organize the hundreds of … Continue reading →

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Here comes that AstroWorld task force

Posted on February 12, 2022 by Charles Kuffner

Got to admit, I had thought this had already happened. Three months after 10 people were killed at the Astroworld Festival at NRG Park, Houston and Harris County have named a 10-person task force to review procedures, permitting and guidelines … Continue reading →

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I’ll see your AstroWorld lawsuit and raise you $10 billion

Posted on December 9, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

That’s a big number, though that’s partly because there are a lot of plaintiffs. A local law firm has just filed the largest suit to date against Travis Scott’s Astroworld Festival after the mass-casualty tragedy that claimed the lives of … Continue reading →

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Travis Scott’s legal team

Posted on December 1, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Some heavy hitters here. Prominent Los Angeles trial lawyer Daniel Petrocelli sent an electronic letter late last Wednesday to lawyers for the plaintiffs in the Astroworld Festival tragedy announcing that he now represents rapper Travis Scott and offering to pay … Continue reading →

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Time for some bigger AstroWorld lawsuits

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Charles Kuffner

Here is a large number. As the lawsuits continue to pile up following the aftermath of the Astroworld Festival tragedy, attorney Tony Buzbee has filed one of the largest yet. The prominent Houston lawyer filed a suit Monday on behalf … Continue reading →

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