Dive Brief:
- The Texas Rangers announced Thursday that Jack Hill, who helped oversee the building of Globe Life Park, its current home, will head up construction of the MLB team's new $1 billion stadium, according to the Dallas Morning News.
- Hill, who has been named the Rangers' senior vice president for project development, also had a hand in the construction of the Cowboys' $1.2 billion AT&T Park, the San Francisco 49ers $1.3 billion Levi's Stadium, the American Airlines Center in Dallas and Milwaukee's Miller Park.
- The Rangers said Hill, who has been involved with sports venue construction for 25 years, will also work with the Cordish Cos. on the $250 million Texas Live! entertainment, hotel and conference complex being built across the street from Globe Life Park.
Dive Insight:
Arlington voters paved the way for construction to begin on the new stadium when they voted to foot half the bill with city bonds earlier this month. The city's $500 million bond — backed by a combination of sales, hotel, car rental, ticket and parking taxes — guarantees that the Rangers will remain in Arlington at least until the 2053-2054 MLB season. The team will pay for the balance and any construction cost overruns. The venue, which should be ready no later than 2021, will feature air conditioning and a retractable roof.
Construction is already underway on the Texas Live! complex across the street from Globe Life Park and next to the site of the new stadium. Crews were able to start early on the first phase of the project after the Rangers were eliminated from this year's playoffs. Texas Live! will have 35,000 square feet of meeting and convention space, an outdoor pavilion, a 350-room hotel and 200,000 square feet of dining and entertainment venues, some of which will surround a courtyard that gives visitors a view of Rangers game play.
The team and developer The Cordish Cos. announced the venue in May at the same time as the team released its plans for a new stadium. Since then, costs for Texas Live! have increased by $50 million due to an accelerated schedule and expanded size of the project.
