For those of you desperately clinging to the stakes in the Save the Astrodome camp, it could be time to tentatively rejoice.

The Greater Houston Partnership (GHP) State of the County address, delivered by Harris County Judge Ed Emmett Friday afternoon indicates our beloved Astrodome has a fairly solid — albeit indefinite — place in Houston's future.

"It would be a shame to lose the structure," Emmett said about the Astrodome. "We owe it to future generations to preserve it as a gathering place."

Phew! Insert a sigh of relief here.

Emmett continued, "Now is the time to make a decision. Anything will be expensive, but we must move forward."

Forward motion works for us, because, at the very least, it's motion. Especially when it comes to the pathetically abandoned Astrodome that, Emmett admitted, "takes about $3-4 million a year to maintain."

That's truly wonderful news for the dome, and we're sure Emmett will find plenty of Houstonians to support his goal of revitalization. Emmett made his annual State of the Country address in front of 1,110 people at the Hilton Americas-Houston.

But wait a second. What are we going to do with the Astrodome, now that we're aiming to keep it?

It looks like we've got to expend a little energy turning the dome into a home. "We have to make a decision about the dome," said Emmett. "We want it to be a place where people can revel in the 'can-do' spirit of Harris County."

"Reveling in the can-do," according to Emmett, means anything and everything. "We'd clean out the dome, take out the seats, keep the shell and grass and replace the roof," he said.

"We need to make the dome available for community use," Emmett emphasized. "Many festivals and events are held in front of City Hall, and it's a bad location."

That's all well and good, too. And while we hate to be the ones to ask the difficult questions here, someone has to do the dirty work. Festival revenue certainly won't be footing the monthly bill. So who (or what) is going to pay for this idyllic event space?

Well, actually, you are. "This plan isn't a revenue generator," Emmett admitted. "The community needs to decide that [the Astrodome] is a part of the community."

Which is politician-speak for you needing to decide whether you want to fund it with your tax dollars.

"The Commissioners Court, along with the Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, will produce a definitive plan to present to voters. The taxpayers will be engaged early — it is their dome," Emmett said.

In more ways than one, it turns out.

Are you still scratching your heads? So are we. But if you're looking for more concrete answers, you won't find them out of Emmett. He's still hoping it all falls into place on a hope and a prayer.

"Once you say, 'We're gonna preserve it,' people will come to you," Emmett said.