Cowboys Practice Facility Engineer Distances Self From Project

Manhattan Construction Co. Indicated As Lead Contractor Of Cowboys Practice Facility

QUESTIONS ARISE: In Ft. Worth, Barry Shlachter reports some soft-shell building industry execs have "wondered why the membrane skin needed replacing in 2008 after just five years of use -- what they said was about half its expected lifespan." Others questioned "why Cowboys management reportedly handled the general contracting for installing the new covering." City of Irving, Texas, records "do not show the Cowboys requested the training center roof be inspected after it was replaced" as required by city code. But Irving Mayor Herb Gears said, "What's consistent with the Cowboys is that they handle business in a professional way and do everything first-class. They don't put their employees in harm's way" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 5/6). Meanwhile, in Dallas, Chuck Carlton reports the Cowboys are "looking for alternative practice sites," and the team has "approached Coppell ISD about using Cowboy Stadium at Coppell High School for voluntary one-hour workouts May 12 and May 14" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 5/6).

UNDER REVIEW: In Boston, Christopher Gasper reports the Patriots are "reviewing the 80,000-square-foot Dana-Farber Field House" facility, which also was built by Summit Structures in '03. Patriots Exec Dir of Media Relations Stacey James: "We will review every aspect of the facility. That's all I'm going to say. I won't speculate as to what decisions we'll make in the future." Summit "trumpets its work, saying that the field house was designed, manufactured, and constructed in just 16 weeks." It is unclear "how similar the Cowboys' facility is to the Patriots' facility and what characteristics the structures shared besides a height of 85 feet" (BOSTON GLOBE, 5/6).

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