Rangers Given Tax Breaks On Stadium Renovations

With the 2012 season (sigh) in the books, the Texas Rangers will soon get to work on an estimated $10 million in renovations to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, and thanks to a vote by the City of Arlington (who owns the stadium) this week, the team will be able to save a pretty penny in doing so.

The City Council of Arlington voted on Tuesday to allow the team to pay for labor and materials under the city’s tax-exempt status--which is estimated to save the team around $300,000 and $400,000.

This is the third consecutive year that the team has made upgrades to the Ballpark, and the second consecutive year that these upgrades have been major. Last year, the renovation ran about $12 million and included a complete overhaul of the center field pavilion. This year, an additional row of seats will go in behind home plate, and the concession facilities will get a makeover.

"What it does is keep the ballpark up to date and on the front edge of the fan experience," said City Manager Trey Yelverton, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. ..."They know baseball and they know what fans want relative to baseball."