Reliant Park
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Reliant Park (formerly the Astrodomain) is a complex in Houston, Texas named after the energy company Reliant Energy. It is located at the 610 Loop at Kirby Road. This fenced in community of buildings encompasses many acres of land and also includes one of the world's largest parking lots. Up till 2004, the lot also served as a parking lot for Six Flags Astroworld, which has since closed down.
The complex is served by the Reliant Park Station, a light rail station on the Red Line of the METRORail light rail system. There are four buildings currently located within Reliant Park: The Reliant Astrodome, Reliant Stadium, Reliant Center, and Reliant Arena.
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[edit] Reliant Astrodome
The Reliant Astrodome, formerly known as just the Houston Astrodome, is called the "Eighth Wonder of the World" by many as it is the first domed structure of its size created without a pillar supporting it in the center. The Astrodome was the home of the Houston Astros and Houston Oilers for several years before both teams moved out, the former to Minute Maid Park and the latter to Nashville, Tennessee. The Astrodome has been the home of many other special events, including the Republican National Convention, the NBA All-Star Game, and World Wrestling Federation (WWF) WrestleMania X-Seven.
The Astrodome (and Reliant Park in general) gained nationwide notoriety in September 2005 when it was opened as a massive shelter for evacuees fleeing Hurricane Katrina. Each building except for Reliant Stadium (which was configured for the Houston Texans) hosted several thousand evacuees, and local media dubbed the complex "Reliant City". This "city" was itself evacuated when Hurricane Rita threatened Texas later that month, but many returned after the scare and moved out shortly before the end of the year.
[edit] Reliant Stadium
Reliant Stadium was also the home of Super Bowl XXXVIII (held February 1, 2004), famous for the New England Patriots defeating the Carolina Panthers 32-29, but also infamous for its halftime show incident involving Janet Jackson's "wardrobe malfunction".
[edit] Reliant Arena
The Reliant Arena, formerly known as the "Astro Arena", is a 350,000 square foot sports center. It was completed in 1974 and located adjacent to the Astro Hall (later renamed the Reliant Hall), which was later demolished in May 2002 to make room for more parking. The Arena has been the home of several different events, including the Houston Hotshots, Houston's former indoor soccer team and smaller wrestling events such as WCW Thunder and SmackDown!.
[edit] Reliant Center
The Reliant Center is a convention center located amongst the sports arenas in Reliant Park. It opened in 2004 and hosts various events year-round, including the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, who maintains its offices on the second floor of the building. It runs over a quarter mile in length.
