Unique Globe Life Field Turns New Page for Texas Rangers
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PANSTADIA & ARENA MANAGEMENT 2ND QUARTER 2020 UNIQUE GLOBE LIFE FIELD TURNS NEW PAGE FOR TEXAS RANGERS The $1.2 billion, retractable-roof stadium in Arlington includes breakthrough climate control, sports lighting and electronics. Feature writer Steve Traiman gets insight from team, architect & key vendors. ith Major League Baseball Globe Life Park home, heated up in 25 years, which led to overwhelming Wexpected to reopen a shortened the summer of 2015,” Rob Matwick, passage of a $500 million bond issue 82-game season around July 4, players Rangers Executive VP for Business in November 2016. Globe Life has will take the field to empty ballparks Operations, recalled for PS&AM. “The been a great naming rights partner with only TV available to satisfy Cordish Companies, a highly regarded, since 2014 and was pleased to homebound fans Baltimore-based sports anchor extend that agreement on the new When the MLB Texas Rangers development firm, approached us as ballpark for another 25 years at $11 officially opened their $1.2 billion, the keystone anchor for its planned million annually.” retractable-roof Globe Life Field in Texas LIVE project that would include a Matwick has been with the Rangers Arlington, Texas, this July, it will be major brand hotel, retail, restaurant and since 2008, joining after 21 seasons the successful result of a remarkable entertainment space. with the Houston Astros and briefly 31-month construction timeline. “We immediately began talks with the with the Detroit Tigers. “Discussions on the new ballpark, city of Arlington as a 50-50 partner to Asked about the team’s major priorities across the road from our former keep the team in the city for another for the new stadium, he said: “Our 44 www.psam.uk.com venue in focus globe life field StubHub Club on lower suite level from the old Globe Life Park to inside to provide about 800 feet of walkable area. We’re really excited to get fans to experience that new feel and look. HKS vetted the other architects and with Manhattan Construction, our contractor, put together a great group of key vendors on the project team. “As the original opening day approached, we were very lucky to pick March 11 for a morning media open house with about 50 local radio, TV and print folks on hand. It started at 4 am for the early morning on-air folks, and after lunch – I did about an hour and a quarter with one-on-ones! We had a small lunch for the Mayor and Council for their tour, and then from two to six in the afternoon welcomed more than 3,000 excited season ticket holders and others from the community. “Response from media, fans and the All images courtesy of Texas Rangers & HKS community was very responsive and Globe Life Field North Plaza entrance it was very exciting for me to see the positive reaction to the many new primary goal was to mitigate the the roof closed. We challenged the amenities. It was a credit to HKS, weather effect and make the ballpark architects and they did a really nice Manhattan Construction and the entire operable 365 days a year. Premium job, so you don’t have to go very far to project team and our key owner’s rep, amenities for our fans was another find transparency in the roof. We had Jack Hill, my ‘best’ hire who joined our goal, including new club spaces, suites an EFTE surface on the roof and on staff in 2016 as project manager. His and boxes down both foul lines, some the east and west side walls, and they background includes The Ballpark in just 16 rows off the field. bridge the west side area between the Arlington and American Airlines Center upper concourse and outer wall for in Dallas. We may be the first major “A retractable roof was a given, not only more natural light. sports facility to be finished when it for air conditioning during the summer officially opens as in April our punch list “In selecting HKS as our primary months, but also heat for some of had about 15,000 items and now we’re architect, we felt they brought a those early April games and for fans to getting it knocked out! enjoy entertainment and other sporting creative standpoint to the table with “Driving home that night I put on events year-round. Pre-game amenities imagination. We didn’t want to replicate what we had before, but to keep an the NBA Dallas Mavericks game and were also improved with many more exciting Texas feel to the new building heard the Thunder-Jazz game was restrooms, a family room for nursing with a large amount of glass and delayed in Oklahoma City, due to this mothers, a sensory room for kids with transparency HKS showed in other new virus. I called John Blake, EVP of autism, and many concessions moved to projects. With a focus on the new main Communications, to have him get the the far side of all concourses. and upper concourses, Fred Ortiz, one details. By the time I got home and “Another key goal was to get more of the primary design architects, had a turned on the TV, I got Mavs’ owner natural light into the ballpark with great idea to turn the exterior arches Mark Cuban’s reaction to the NBA 45 PANSTADIA & ARENA MANAGEMENT 2ND QUARTER 2020 shutting down. When MLB shut down March 12, I called Sean Decker of our staff and our promoter Live Nation, about postponing the highly anticipated Chris Stapleton and Willie Nelson concert that was to officially open the ballpark on March 14, and we now hope to present them in the fall or winter.” Dream role The architecture project that brought HKS architect Fred Ortiz back to Texas is a dream role: senior designer of the new Panoramic view of seating bowl shows Globe Life Field for the Texas Rangers. two of three "floating" Featuring a retractable roof for climate Daktronics Video Boards control, seats that are closer to the field and open views from the concourse, “The roof was the project team’s rain delays. It’s more functional and the new ballpark is a far cry from the biggest challenge,” Ortiz told PS&AM. comfortable for fans if the summer barebones Arlington Stadium where “Structural engineer Walter P Moore game time temperature is 107 degrees Ortiz spent summer nights in college played the key role in creating the at first pitch. And there are no missed watching former Rangers Rubén Sierra, largest single-panel retractable roof concerts or family shows due to snow, Iván “Pudge” Rodríguez and Nolan Ryan in all sports venues – 7 acres of rain or thunderstorms.” play ball. coverage with the largest span of Ortiz said HKS also worked with four Ortiz is not just designing a sports 650ft. Something that large was well local architectural firms -VLK , VAI facility, but a home to the team he has worth the effort as with ME Engineers Architects, SDS Architecture and EJEX, watched since college, and building providing MEP services, their climate – all assisting with documentation another landmark for the city that control system allowed the Rangers to Inc. started his architectural career. (He create a truly multi-purpose venue. of the project. earned his architectural degree from the “There is no need to have to cancel “They were fantastic partners to University of Texas at Arlington.) events due to weather. There are no have as part of the overall team Northeast aerial view with roof open 46 www.psam.uk.com venue in structure and an important part of the the home you were in and are leaving… focus project’s success. but it’s a chance to go to a new space globe “We were able to keep to the tight with more amenities, things you may life field 31-month construction timetable with have felt you were missing. For HKS, it no major weather or other problems. was a chance to create a memorable The roof and framing did leave the experience for fans of all ages. There a new model for sports venue single- bowl space open to the elements for an will be a dynamic for Rangers’ fans panel retractable roofs.” looking at where they were before in almost two-year period. So, there may Sharma is a Principal with Walter P the old ballpark and where they are have been some minor flooding along Moore, with over 15 years of experience now. A park with an iconic Texas feel…a the way inside, but this was minimal… in delivering successful projects in a much higher level of transparency… and planned for. There were no just-in- variety of sectors including sports, and a connectivity to the Texas LIVE time delivery problems with key Texas- healthcare, aviation, commercial, entertainment district. specific materials - brick, granite and cultural facilities, parking structures, limestone all embody a unique Texas "To build something for the City of and education. feel and theme. Precast was used to Arlington, where I went to school and Her many notable sports projects emulate large blocks of stone. where I spent so many years of my life, include: , it's like contributing to something bigger. Protective Stadium “It was a great experience for HKS and Birmingham, AL; Fiserv Forum, contractor Manhattan Construction I feel very blessed and honoured to be part of an architectural firm that has Milwaukee, WI; Gaylord Family working together with a very supportive Oklahoma Memorial Stadium expansion, project team. We were together with the opportunity to work on a project like Globe Life Field." Norman; Texas A&M University the Rangers from day one collaborating, Kyle Field redevelopment, College expressing ideas.