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One of America's most iconic sports stadiums looks doomed to destruction after Houston-area voters spurned a rescue plan for the Astrodome.
The pride of "Space City" after it opened in 1965, the air-conditioned arena became a symbol of Texan ambition and American architectural innovation. It was the world's first domed stadium and hosted Astros baseball, Oilers football, Muhammad Ali and Evel Knievel.
Music stars such as Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan performed there and Billie Jean King beat Bobby Riggs in the Battle of the Sexes tennis match in 1973. Its artificial playing surface was famously dubbed AstroTurf and the building was a blueprint for a generation of enclosed arenas.
But by 2003 the dome's major tenants had left for newer homes and its most notable recent use came in 2005 as a temporary refuge for thousands from New Orleans who were escaping the effects of hurricane Katrina. Then it was shut and declared unfit for occupancy in 2009.
Historical preservation societies rallied around the cause and various groups proposed turning the Astrodome into a museum, a park or even a film studio. In Tuesday's local elections voters were asked if they wanted to commit up to $217m in bonds to turn the decaying structure into a convention and exhibition centre with an external plaza, called the New Dome Experience.
Last Saturday hundreds of nostalgics queued up to buy seats, turf and other memorabilia from the "Eighth Wonder of the World" at a sale and auction. But that enthusiasm was not reflected in the wider electorate. With 100% of precincts having reported late on Tuesday night, the tally was 47% for the proposal and 53% against.
Barring an improbable rescue from a wealthy investor, the Astrodome now looks likely to be razed at a cost of around $30m, sometime before 2017, when Houston will host the Super Bowl at the adjacent Reliant Stadium.
"Clearly, on the issue of the dome, the voters have rejected the proposal and the proposed bond issue and so commissioners' court will have to make a decision as to where we go from here," Ed Emmett, a Harris county judge, told KTRK local news.
"The voters in Harris County have spoken," Beth Wiedower of the National Trust for Historic Preservation told the Houston Chronicle. "There's no disputing this building is an icon. Its legacy will live on even if it doesn't. It seems like its fate is sealed; obviously we are disappointed in the outcome."
There was bad news for another Texas stadium proposal. Voters in the Houston suburb of Katy seemed set to reject a bond that would have financed construction of the most expensive high school football arena in the country.
The Katy school district wants to build a $69.5m, 14,000-seat new stadium next to its existing 10,000-capacity venue. But 55% of voters were against the issue of a $99m bond that would also have paid for a science, technology, engineering and maths (Stem) centre and agricultural education facility.
In Houston's mayoral election the incumbent, Annise Parker, easily won a third and final two-year term. In 2009 the Democrat became the first openly gay mayor of a major US city.
Across Texas voters were polled on a number of constitutional and local issues. These were the first statewide elections since Texas introduced its contentious voter ID laws earlier this year. Republicans say that having to show a valid photo ID with a name matching the electoral roll will help reduce fraud, while Democrats claim it is a measure designed to make it harder for poor people and minorities to cast ballots.
There were no reports of significant problems at polling stations, though a truer indication of the law's impact should come in next year's gubernatorial election, when the turnout will be far higher.
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