ARLINGTON (WBAP/KLIF News) — After Arlington voters approved a measure to fund a new baseball park the Texas Rangers are anxious to get started.
At this point an entertainment complex called Texas Live! is already under construction south of Globe Life Park. The ballpark will be part of the complex but the plan is currently just an artist’s rendering. The Rangers intend to take it from imagination to reality in time to open the 2020 season there. Rob Matwick, the Rangers’ vice president for ballpark operations, said the next step will be to select an architect and then a general contractor to oversee construction.
Rangers co-chairman Ray Davis is excited. “Long term, it means our fans can enjoy climate control without getting burned up and we can recruit more free agents,” he said. “Our fan base has changed as millennials have come along and we compete with people watching on television. This will create an environment they can enjoy every day.”
Arlington voters approved the measure overwhelmingly to continue an existing half-cent sales tax to fund the city’s half million dollar share of the cost to build the park.