The Texas Rangers and its development partner, The Cordish Companies, held the official groundbreaking for Texas Live!, the $250 million project being built around the new ballpark.
The Rangers and Cordish also announced that the development will be constructed by a joint venture partnership of Manhattan Construction Company and Arlington-based Con-Real. Additionally, the development team has tapped Arlington-based LeVis Consulting Group to provide construction management and owner’s representation services throughout construction.
Con-Real, an established full-service African-American construction and real estate firm, has experience in over 3,000 projects including entertainment, commercial, hospitality, educational, industrial and technology facilities. Today’s announcement marks an important milestone for the City of Arlington as the first time a project of this size and scope has had a local, minority-owned business positioned as a joint venture partner to oversee construction, according to the Texas Rangers news release.
“We are thrilled in our joint venture partnership with Manhattan Construction Company on this momentous project and to join the Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies in setting a new standard for MWBE participation in Arlington,” said Gerald Alley, president and CEO of Con-Real. “We are honored to be part of such a transformative project that will lead to years and years of future development and growth for the city.”
The Texas Rangers and The Cordish Companies have also named Hord Coplan Macht to provide architecture services; Jeffrey Beers International for interior design services; Mycoskie+Mcinnis+Associates to provide civil engineering services; and McLaren Engineering Group to handle structural engineering for the project.
The Rangers and Cordish were joined at the groundbreaking by Arlington Mayor Jeff Williams and the Arlington City Council, and community and business leaders from Tarrant County and the City of Arlington as city officials look to cement Arlington as the premier sports, entertainment and hospitality destination in the country.
“It’s an exciting day for us to come together with our development partners, The Cordish Companies, and the City of Arlington to celebrate this major milestone for Texas Live!,” said Rob Matwick, executive vice president of business operations for the Texas Rangers. “We have an incredible vision for the Arlington Entertainment District and today’s ceremony continues that forward momentum of our commitment to deliver this one-of-a-kind project to Arlington.”
The groundbreaking ceremony for the development was held on the project site in Arlington. When completed, the project will house over 200,000 square feet of restaurants, retail and entertainment, as well as a 5,000-capacity outdoor event pavilion when it debuts next year. The project will also be anchored by an upscale full-service, 300-room convention hotel and 35,000 square feet of meeting/convention space. The hotel/convention facility will feature a leading brand and management team that will be announced at a later date, officials said. Texas Live! is part of a greater $4 billion vision for the Arlington Stadium District that features the Rangers new $1 billion ballpark and preservation of Globe Life Park. The project will bring over 3,000 new jobs and over 3 million new visitors to Arlington which already welcomes 14 million annual visitors.
Already announced for the project is PBR Country Bar that is expected to have a 1,500 capacity and a 7,000 square foot balcony overlooking Arlington Backyard, an open air entertainment facility. PBR stands for Professional Bull Riders Association and the flagship PBR bar at Texas Live! will be the largest PBR venue in the country. Guy Fieri, the Emmy-award winning chef, restaurateur, author and TV personality will be launching a one-of-a-kind, flagship restaurant concept for the project and Revolver Brewing, out of Granbury, will open a working brewery at Texas Live!
The family behind the iconic Lockhart Smokehouse will be bringing the Lockhart barbecue tradition to Texas Live!. Guests will be able to experience Lockhart traditions such as Kreuz Market sausage, as well as other Texas standards including brisket, ribs and other meats smoked low and slow over Texas post oak.
The Rangers and Cordish also announced the creation of a Community Advisory Committee.
Comprised of representatives from the city, community and civic organizations, and college/universities, the Community Advisory Committee is providing advice and assistance with the implementation of the Texas Live! Community Benefits Plan. The following organizations will be members of the committee:
• Arlington Black Chamber of Commerce
• Arlington Chamber of Commerce
• Arlington Convention and Visitors Bureau
• Arlington Latino Chamber of Commerce
• Arlington NAACP
• Asian-American Chamber of Tarrant County
• CILR MWBE
• City of Arlington
• Dallas/Fort Worth Minority Supplier Development Council, Inc.
• Dareleman Islamic Center
• Fort Worth Metropolitan Black Chamber of Commerce
• LatinoBiz Magazine
• National Association of Minority Contractors – Dallas-Fort Worth
• Texas Trust Credit Union
• United States Pan Asian Chamber of Commerce – Southwest Region
• The University of Texas at Arlington
• Women Business Council Southwest
• Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County
www.texas-live.com