Dallas-based firm HKS has been "selected as design architect" for the MLB Rangers’ $1B retractable-roof ballpark, according to a front-page piece by Robert Cadwallader of the FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM. Team officials said that HKS, which worked on both Globe Life Park and AT&T Stadium, was "selected because of how it embraced the team’s desire to create a venue that blends the traditional style" of its current home with the "high-tech roof and amenities that will provide climate control for fans on hot summer days and allow the team to stage events year-round." The Rangers said that the new ballpark "will not only serve as the Rangers home, but can also host high school, college and international sporting events, as well as concerts and other entertainment tours." It is "expected to open in time" for the start of the '20 season. HKS Exec VP & Dir of Sports & Entertainment Bryan Trubey said the new park will host a variety of events "without compromising anything to do with authentic baseball." Rangers Exec VP/Business Operations Rob Matwick said that HKS' selection was "based largely on how the firm responded to the team’s desires." Cadwallader reports photos and renderings show various design elements that "could be incorporated" into a final ballpark design, "including the brick, arches and other features of Globe Life Park." One feature of Globe Life Park -- indoor concourses -- "won’t be a part" of the new venue. Trubey wants the "energy generated by pedestrian streets, which are outdoors but often beneath a glass ceiling." One rendering "shows the ballpark on one side of the street and lines of concessions, restrooms and restaurants on the opposite side." Trubey said that "initial plans are to have such a pedestrian street connect seamlessly" to the $250M Texas Live! mixed-use entertainment and high-rise hotel complex (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/6).
BLAST FROM THE PAST: In Dallas, Jeff Mosier in a front-page piece reports hints of Globe Life's "retro styling are likely to remain, including arches that are also a signature feature of neighboring AT&T Stadium." The new ballpark "could have just two seating decks rather than three and shorter distances between fans in the upper levels and the field." The Rangers' agreement with the city specifies a ballpark with a "capacity of at least 38,000." Team officials have said that they "expect it to be closer to 42,000" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/6). A FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM editorial states that the new ballpark "will look nostalgic and stunning." With HKS having built the UT-Arlington College Park Center and AT&T Stadium, the future of the park "rests in capable hands." The seating will "create a more intimate atmosphere for baseball fans." Renderings show the new ballpark to be "classic but with modern vibe" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 1/6).
EVERYONE'S A CRITIC: In Dallas, Mark Lamster in an architectural review writes the "defining feature of the firm's woozy initial renderings is a monumental arcade -- imagine a misplaced and overgrown Roman aqueduct -- enclosing the ballpark beyond its outfield walls." Lamster: "Hopefully this feature will disappear in future iterations, though a 'retro' design seems inevitable" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 1/6). In Houston, Matt Young writes the ballpark renderings "feature arches in the left-field concourse and bleachers high up on the left-field wall that look a lot like what the Astros have at Minute Maid Park" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 1/6).
ON THE BIG SCREEN: In Dallas, Bill Hethcock noted Matwick "provided an update on Texas Live! and a timetable" for the ballpark and entertainment district’s development "during a meeting with city leaders Thursday at Globe Life Park." Matwick said that an "upscale hotel will be part of the Texas Live! project, and the hotel’s brand will be announced in the next couple of months." A video screen in a plaza outside the ballpark will be a "whopping 100-feet across when measured diagonally, making it the biggest screen in any of the several similar sports-anchored entertainment venues already developed by The Cordish Cos. nationwide, in cities including Philadelphia, St. Louis, Kansas City, and Louisville" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/5).
