Rangers, Arlington announce new ballpark

ARLINGTON — The Rangers and the City of Arlington have reached an agreement for a new state-of-the-art ballpark to be opened by 2021. The new ballpark, which was announced at a news conference on Friday at City Hall, will be climate-controlled with a retractable roof and will be built across Randol Mill Road on the south side of Globe Life Park.

“The Texas Rangers have chosen to stay in Arlington, Texas,” Arlington mayor Jeff Williams said. “Our families and business leaders understand the Texas Rangers have been one of our strongest economic engines. There weren’t any other options. We needed to keep the Texas Rangers in Arlington.

Both sides are contributing $500 million to the project. The Rangers will be responsible for cost overruns. The city’s contribution, through an extension of existing taxes, must be approved via a public referendum in the Nov. 8 general election. The city will own the ballpark, while the Rangers will design and build it. The agreement runs through January 1, 2054.

“This [referendum] is going to pass,” said Williams. “There are too many benefits for the Rangers and the city of Arlington.”

Rangers owner Ray Davis, who started coming to games as a fan sitting in the bleachers at Arlington Stadium, said a retractable-roof stadium was a must for the future of the franchise. The Rangers expect a significant increase in their revenues with the new facility.

“It’s personal, when I think where our fan base comes from,” Davis said. “We service five states. It is our responsibility as owners to make sure our fans have the best fan experience for years to come. We owe it to our fan base in North Texas and five states to give them a fan-friendly, safe, comfortable environment.

“To have a higher-than-average attendance — especially during the dog days of …

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