The MLB Rangers are set to break ground Sept. 28 to build Globe Life Field, their new $1.1B ballpark in Arlington. HKS is the main architect and Manhattan Construction is the general contractor. Walter P Moore fills the role of structural engineer. The 41,000-seat venue will encompass 1.7 million square feet, covering about 13 acres. It will sit next to Texas Live!, an entertainment district scheduled to open a portion of its complex in '18 (Don Muret, Staff Writer). In Ft. Worth, Bill Hanna reports the new ballpark will have a "retractable roof, but the baseball team wants fans to feel like they're still outdoors." One of the main goals is to "allow for plenty of natural light, even when the retractable roof is closed to keep everyone cool." HKS Exec VP & Dir of Sports & Entertainment Bryan Trubey said, "We wanted to make it feel like an open-air ballpark -- not a retractable-roof ballpark." Hanna notes there is "one other wrinkle: the roof will close over the infield first, allowing the most important part of the field to be covered in the event of a sudden downpour." Trubey said that in most ballparks, the roof "closes over the outfield first" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 9/22).
KEEPING THE FANS IN MIND: In Dallas, Loyd Brumfield notes the renderings released by the team Thursday depict "views into the seating area from every part of the concourse and a roof that slopes downward at certain places so that it doesn't dominate what fans see when they arrive at the ballpark." Trubey said, "Everybody still talks about Camden Yards, which was finished in 1992. With the exception of Globe Life Park, all the ballparks built since then have been more similar than they are different, and we think it's time for another transformation." Trubey said that the new ballpark will "take up a larger geographical footprint" than Globe Life Park but seat "fewer fans to allow for a more intimate experience." Designers also "included five entry gates." Brumfield notes Globe Life Field is "scheduled to open in time" for the '20 MLB season. Trubey said that the new ballpark will "boast a larger overhang that completely covers upper-deck seating and will provide shade on the days that the roof is opened." He added other architectural flourishes include "a progression of arches instead of just a facade of arches." Brumfield notes architects "studied other landmarks with arches, including Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo in San Antonio, the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth and a monastery in Italy." Meanwhile, Rangers officials also announced that fans "won't have to purchase" PSLs (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/22).
GRASS OR TURF? In Dallas, Evan Grant notes the "combination of a roofed stadium and a lower elevation point for the field make growing and sustaining grass more difficult." The field will be "about 50 feet below the main concourse and will be lower than the current field." While the Rangers' intent is to "play on grass, the issue could force the club to consider an artificial playing surface." Rangers Exec VP/Business Operations Rob Matwick said, "We're still evaluating all of the options" (DALLAS MORNING NEWS, 9/22).
